Orange Honey Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup honey

Directions

1. 1

   Coat with nonstick spray or grease two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

2. 2

   Line the bottom of each pan with a small piece of wax paper cut to fit; then spray or grease the paper.

3. 3

   Set the pans aside.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

5. 5

   Put the hot water into a 2-cup measuring cup or a small bowl.

6. 6

   Add the instant coffee granules, and stir until they are dissolved.

7. 7

   Stir in the orange juice concentrate to cool the coffee.

8. 8

   Set aside.

9. 9

   Measure out the cinnamon, allspice, salt, baking powder and baking soda, and place in a small custard cup or on a piece of wax paper.

10. 10

    Set aside.

11. 11

    Measure the flour by spooning it into the proper-size measuring cups, and leveling off the top.

12. 12

    After measuring the flour, sift it onto a large piece of wax paper or into an extra bowl.

13. 13

    (Sifting is necessary as tiny lumps may not beat out during the mixing process and will appear in the finished cake.) Put the eggs, oil, sugar, and honey into a large mixer bowl.

14. 14

    With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat them together until completely combined, about 2 minutes.

15. 15

    Add the spice mixture, and beat until combined.

16. 16

    Beat in about a third of the flour, then a third of the orange-coffee mixture, repeating twice until all the ingredients are added.

17. 17

    Beat on low speed until the flour is completely mixed in, scraping the bowl if necessary.

18. 18

    Then beat the batter on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until it is very smooth.

19. 19

    The batter will be thin.

20. 20

    Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly.

21. 21

    Bake the cakes at 325 degrees for about 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out completely clean (test both cakes).

22. 22

    If there is a wet spot in the center of the top of a cake, bake it a few minutes longer.

23. 23

    Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them cool for 1 hour in their pans on a wire rack.

24. 24

    The sides of the cakes should shrink away from the pans a little.

25. 25

    Run a knife around the sides of each cake to loosen it; then turn the cake out of its pan, and peel the wax paper from the bottom.

26. 26

    Invert the cakes so the tops are facing upward.

27. 27

    Cool the cakes completely on the wire rack.

28. 28

    Wrap the cooled cakes well for storage (use sturdy plastic wrap and/or heavy-duty foil).

29. 29

    If the wrapped cakes are allowed to “mellow” overnight, their taste and texture will improve, and they will be easier to slice (a serrated bread knife works best).

30. 30

    The tightly wrapped loaves can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days, or they may be frozen for several months.

31. 31

    (Defrost, wrapped, at room temperature, before slicing and serving.) To serve, cut each loaf crosswise into slices, and arrange the slices, slightly overlapping, on a tray or platter.