Honey Cake

Rich, dark, and sweet, honey cake was originally a kind of pound cake made by people who could not afford refined sugar or flour (many old honey cake recipes use rye flour, not exactly what we think of as dessert). This is a light, more modern (at least twentieth-century) recipe, quite succulent.

Some people stir raisins (about ½ cup) and/or chopped almonds or walnuts (also about ½ cup) into the batter just before baking. Others cut the loaves in half after baking and add a layer of