Honey Cake

I've been craving cake for days. And the latest Cook's Country featured a really nice looking recipe for honey cake. So, when the Toddle-Bot went down for his nap today, I got to work!

Honey Cake
From Cook's Country August/September 2015
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. water
4 large eggs
6 Tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. honey (preferably raw)

1. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. In a separate bowl, combine water, eggs, apple sauce, oil, orange juice, and vanilla.
3. Whisk honey into liquids until mixture looks homogeneous.
4. Whisk liquids into dry ingredients until well combined.
5. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan. (Or do what I did and use a 9"x13" baking dish.)
6. Bake at 325F for 45-55 minutes if using a Bundt pan. (Mine took about an hour in the Pyrex baking dish.)
7. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before turning out of pan. Optionally glaze once cool.

The folks and Cook's Country just recommended a simple vanilla icing for this cake: icing sugar, water, and vanilla. I wanted something that would accentuate the honey's flavour even more (not to mention use up the last few spoonfuls of honey from the jar), so I went a different route...

Honey-Orange Glaze
2-3 Tbsp. honey
1 c. orange juice

1. Boil orange juice until reduced to 1/4-1/3 c.
2. Combine with honey. Cook down a bit more if desired.
3. Pour over cake.