Be it ever so humble…
I’ve been staring at the calender so hard that I am surprised I haven’t burnt a hole through it…but then again I might have cause for concern IF I could indeed do that. August needs to hurry up and go away….as I sit typing with sweat rolling down my knees. Ugh. September is so very close I can see it and yet stupid August is protesting and dragging it’s feet like a white trash kid throwing a tantrum in the middle of the Kmart aisles.
I of course continue to cook as if it is not Summer. This time around making a spice cake. I decided to add huckleberry flavored honey(I buy a brand called Anna’s) to the spice cake. The flavor is very subtle so I think next time I will add even more. If you don’t have flavored honey you will be fine just adding plain old honey. I like this cake because not only does it use flour but it uses egg whites as if it were a flourless cake. I also like to glaze the cake while it is still in the pan. That way all the good stuff seeps into the bottom of the cake keeping an already moist cake extra moist.
This cake is not much to look at but it is tasty enough to make up for that fact….you might say it has “a good personality.” 
Huckleberry Honey Spice Cake
¾ cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
4 TBSP huckleberry honey(or just honey if you don’t have huckleberry)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp fresh nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups cake flour
In a mixer, cream together butter and sugars for about 3 minutes. Add honey and beat another minute.
Add eggs yolks, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.
Alternating, add 1/3 of dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, followed by ½ of the buttermilk. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the last of the buttermilk and then the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
Move batter to a large mixing bowl. Clean your mixer bowl. Add egg whites and beat to stiff peaks. Fold into the batter.
Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch cake pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350F. Insert a knife to see if it comes out clean.
For the Brown Sugar Icing:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
Combine butter, brown sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a full boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Let cool to lukewarm. Pour glaze over cake.
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:48 pm
OMG — “white trash kid…” Bwah-hahaha Brown Sugar icing? Priceless. Lip-smacking luscious. And I’m having a thankful respite from the leg dripping sweat, thank you very much. Hang in there — Fall’s almost here…
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:09 pm
I can’t wait for Sept to come too! And I love cake with “good personality” too!
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I am a spice cake with brown sugar icing kind of gal—makes me think of my childhood.
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:30 pm
This looks good to me!! It definitely screams out fall - I can’t wait for September, either!
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:43 pm
I love spice cakes, especially when they are nice and light. This one looks delicious.
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I know how you feel. During the “dog days of summer” I always start baking things with pumpkin.
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:52 pm
that first picture for some reason makes me feel like the piece of cake is a shark coming to get me. a cake shark! anyway.. i love autumn-y foods so i am definitely saving this recipe.
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:54 pm
This cake is soo lovely. Your baking creations are always so delicious.
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:12 pm
I am not one to turn down a super-moist spice cake no matter how humble…but what I really like here is the brown sugar glaze. Brown sugar makes anything delcious.
Julie
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:37 pm
It’s funny - we had a cool spell in New York, and suddenly everyone was wearing sweaters! I am in love with spice cake any time of year, but your photos have me wishing our early September would continue.
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Now, let’s see what could be perfect in simple attire,
Huckleberry honey-exotic flavor but only can look plain like honey.
Exotic spices - oh yes all that flavor but mostly brown stuff.
Brown sugar - absolutely rich, rich brown sugar but brown is plain brown.
What’s more plain than brown, ugh that would be buttermilk white.
Nobody will see this one coming but they’ll all take note! I like this one.
Are you really allergic to tomatoes? That’s too bad.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:35 am
Lovely cake, and brown sugar icing, oh how good is that?!
Our weather has been crazy this year, two mornings ago I could see my breath outside! It seems to be better now though, sunny but not hot 14o. Hope it cools down for you soon.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:15 am
‘a good personality’, I love it. LOL. That pretty much describes most of my food.
Your cake may be plain but it still looks mighty delicious.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:30 am
I think it looks mouthwatering, Pea. I love honey and spices, so I’m gonna tag this recipe, ok?
August 24th, 2007 at 6:34 am
I think your cake looks perfect to have with a cup of tea. On a cool, September morning. Leaves falling, school buses rumbling by. Yes, September will be good.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I don’t think your cake looks plain Peabody - it looks scrumptious! Huckleberries and spices? Yes please!
August 24th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I hear ya sister! I am so over August. It is 85 degrees today and raining…I love it. I’ve been in the mood to bake fall/winter sorts of sweets as well. I’ve been on the hunt for cinnamon rolls that really, actually taste like cinnabuns. I don’t think they exist! But anyways, yeah, the heat is making me a little bit crazy.
Also, in Montana where I lived there were huckleberry products EVERYWHERE. It was crazy. Everything in the world flavored huckleberry. This cake makes me miss that.
August 24th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
The cake looks great and sounds tasty. I need to start trying to do more baking.
August 24th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
The creme caramel looks great, but this cake is more my speed. Serve it with a scoop of apple cinnamon ice cream and you have Fall on a dish…hope the actual Fall weather comes soon.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:53 am
I’m feeling so much better thanks for asking!!! I totally know how you feel about summer! I want it to be over already!!!! My whole house feels like an oven when I bake. Needless to say my hubby and munchkins are willing to suffer the oven for the end result!
August 25th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I can’t agree with you more about August! I too have been having fall food envy and can hardly wait for pumpkin and spice and everything nice. Your cake looks great and tasty!
August 25th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Oooo…looks so good! Such a nice, fluffy crumb. This makes me ready for fall, which MS has NONE of! We get lucky if there is a two week period of fall. Of course, summer doesn’t stop us from cooking around here as pretty much everybody has central air.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I ditto what everyone has said. This look so very yummy!
August 25th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
You’re really waiting for October, aren’t you???
August 25th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
You know, I’m a fan of summer, but for some reason, this year I’d just like some fall weather. I’m with you, bring it on.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:10 am
You have just baked 2 of my favourite cakes, spice and pumpkin.I also love brown sugar icing.
Your decorating looks good to me.
I am so going to make both of these soon.
Like you will be happy to see the end of August , fall is a wonderful time of the year to bake.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:49 am
that looks so delicious! perfect with the cup of coffee I am drinking.
August 27th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
another winner. I have a variety of honeys so I can try several variations. I havw never had a honey cake with an icing. But I am always game to try new things.
August 28th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I totally agree with you about August. Maybe if we keep baking in its face, it will soon leave!
December 6th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Just a note…using 8 Tbsp. of butter for the glaze is a bit too much - mine came out far too oily. 4 Tbsp. works much better.