Honey raisin spice cake

This is a simple cake that stands out as a centre piece when made in a bundt pan. A drizzle of chocolate glaze takes the elegance quotient one level up by lending just the right amount of bitterness to contrast the warm sweetness of the sponge

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cup flour

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup oil

• 3/4th cup luke warm water

• 2 teaspoon cocoa

• 1/2 teaspoon each - powdered dry ginger, cinnamon,all spice mix, salt

• 1 teaspoon Baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup mixed fruit - raisin, mix fruit peel, candied papaya etc

• 3/4th cup honey

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate glaze:

• 100 gm baking chocolate roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a bundt pan by rubbing butter generously especially over the groves

2. In a small bowl, toss 1 tablespoon of flour over the raisins and dry fruits, keep aside.

3. Mix cocoa to water and keep aside

4. In a bowl, sift together remaining flour, salt, dry spices, baking powder and baking soda

5. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix oil, sugar and honey. Beat gently till slightly pale

6. Now add couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture and gently fold in.

7. Add an egg and mix it in, without heavy whisking.Repeat steps 5 and 6 till all flour is incorporated. Add cocoa-water just before adding the last flour batch

8. Add vanilla essence and fold in the dry fruit mix

9. Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 25-35 minutes or till firm and well risen

10. While the cake is cooling down, prepare chocolate glaze -

11. Melt chocolate over a double boiler, add chunks of butter and let it melt

12. You may add a few teaspoons of milk to get pouring consistency

13. Drizzle over the cake while it is still slightly warm to touch

14. Serve sliced, another spoonful of left over glaze definitely goes well on the side of each slice