Devonshire Honey Spice Cake

In his student days my son used to make this cake for friends’ birthdays. It is indeed very simple to prepare and can be mixed in a saucepan. A fellow bee-keeper gave me the recipe years ago. The Continental spice mixture I’ve added makes the cake reminiscent of French pain d’épices. However, the cake is still good even without the spices, or the icing.