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Honey Cake Without Honey

Erken's honey cake without honey (1914): orange peel is soaked for a day and boiled 2 hours with 1 kg sugar into a syrup, mixed with melted butter, milk, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, candied peel and 1 kg flour with baking powder, baked 1 hour and matured 1–2 weeks.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 559 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

A thrift cake from a time when honey was costly: orange peel boiled down with sugar gives a thick, aromatic syrup that replaces the honey. The cake is baked in a sheet pan or two pans and should be matured 1–2 weeks before it is cut – typical of Erken's keeping Christmas cakes.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Clean the orange peel

    Wash the orange peel thoroughly and cut away as much of the white, bitter inner peel as possible. Cut the peel into small dice.

  2. 2

    Soaking

    Put the dice in cold water and let them soak for a day. Change the water along the way if you like.

  3. 3

    Boil down with sugar

    Pour off the water and boil the peel with the sugar and enough cold water to cover well. Let it simmer for about 2 hours; top up with water if it boils down too much. The mass should become like a not-too-thick syrup.

  4. 4

    Mix the batter

    Cool the orange syrup completely. Then mix in the melted butter, milk, spices, candied peel and finally the wheat flour mixed with baking powder.

  5. 5

    Bake

    Fill the batter into a well-greased sheet pan, or into two well-greased and coated pans. Bake about 1 hour in a hot oven (about 175 °C (345 °F)).

  6. 6

    Maturing

    Let the cake become completely cold. It should rest 1–2 weeks well wrapped before it is cut.

Changes from the original

Measurements are converted to modern units (tbsp/tsp, grams), "melted butter" kept. The oven temperature is specified, and the steps are broken up into modern, numbered form. The boiling down of the orange peel is described with a note that the mass should have a syrup consistency.

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Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 559) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 651)~37% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
½ 1/2 kg. appelsinskal appelsinskall 1 kg. sukker 6 spiseskeer spiseskjeer smeltet smør 1 kg. hvetemel 2 toppede teskeer teskjeer bakepulver 2 spiseskeer spiseskjeer melk 4 teskeer teskjeer kanel 2 — nellik 2 — ingefær 1 — teskje pepper 200 gr. finskaaren sukat finskåren sukat. Appelsinskallet vaskes grundig, det meste av det mere eller mindre bitre, hvite, indre skal skall skjæres væk, vekk, og skallet skjæres i smaa små terninger, som utvandes utvannes et døgn. Disse kokes koker derefter med sukkeret og saa så meget koldt vand, vann at det staar står godt over; smaakoker småkoker i 2 timer; koker vandet ind, maa vannet inn, må der fyldes paa; fylles på; det skal være som en ikke for tyk tykk sirup. Naar Når dette er koldt, haves has alt det øvrige i. Stekes 1 time i varm ovn i en almindelig godt smurt stekeovnspande. Maal paa panden stekeovns panne. Mål på pannen som i Honningkake I. Man kan ogsaa også steke kåken kaken i 2 godt smurte og strøede strødde former. Kåken Kaken bør helst bli 1 å 2 uker gammel, før der skjæres av den.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is it called "honey cake without honey"?
Because the syrup that gives sweetness and moisture is made from orange peel boiled with sugar and water for 2 hours, instead of honey.
How do I prepare the orange peel?
Wash the peel well, cut away as much of the bitter white inner peel as possible, cut the peel into small dice and let them soak for a day before boiling them with sugar.
How long and how is the cake baked?
1 hour in a hot oven in a well-greased sheet pan/roasting pan (the same measurements as in Honey Cake I). The total time of about 26 hours is due to the soaking of the peel.
Which spices are used?
4 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 ginger and 1 pepper, plus 200 g finely cut candied peel.

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