Makes a 8 to 9-inch layers round cake

This delicious cake, sweetened with honey and filled with good things represents the hope for a year that is sweet and filled with the good things in life.  This sweet and spicy cake represents the hope for a year that is sweet and filled with the good things in life.

 3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons powdered cinnamon

A few grindings of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon powdered clove

1/4 teaspoon powdered mace

1/2 cup hot water

1 tablespoon instant coffee

1 cup dark honey

1/4 light flavored olive oil

The zest or one orange

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped, blanched almonds

1 cup golden raisins

Warm Baker’s Syrup

Extra blanched almonds for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°.  Sift the first six ingredients together and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, blend the next six ingredients together until the honey is melted and set aside to cool.  Beat the eggs until pale colored and beginning to thicken.  Add to the honey mixture.  Gradually, add the dry ingredients, mixing after each addition.  Fold in the almonds and raisins.  Prepare a tube pan or Bunt cake pan with non stick spray.  Pour in the cake batter.  Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about fifty minutes or until a slim bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.  While still hot, drizzle about one quarter cup of warm bakers syrup over the cake.  Do this again in about half an hour.  When the cake is thoroughly cooled, turn out of the pan and place on a cake plate.  Paint the top and sides with warm bakers syrup.  Split the blanched almonds in half and use to decorate the top of the cake.