Ina Garten's Bourbon Honey Cake Combines 2 Classic Breakfast Drinks

Splashing coffee and orange juice into a cake recipe is no accident. Hostess with the Mostess Ina Garten knows exactly what she is doing when she makes cake batter with the two morning beverages. Let Garten's delicious bourbon honey cake serve as inspiration for letting your imagination run wild in the kitchen. The aromas that fill your home as you approach this sweet treat will confirm your culinary choices. 

More is more, so why stop with coffee and orange juice? Garten also uses a bourbon like Maker's Mark to create a moist, fluffy cake crumb that can be enjoyed any time of the day. With the smooth, warm finish of the bourbon paired with the roasted flavors of coffee and the sweet tang of orange juice, this recipe leaves no tasting note untouched. Though the batter to make this cake leans on the side of runny liquid, once baked, the finished cake offers dense slices that can make easy appearances on both breakfast tables and afternoon tea party trays. 

Though honey cake recipes can be traced to 12th-century nunneries, Garten's recipe offers a fresh and modern take on the traditional treat. Topped with almonds, sweetened with brown sugar and honey, and flavored with orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, closed, allspice, and ginger, each mouthful of this spongy cake is a burst of decadence. Bakers will need to line cake pans with oil and parchment paper to be able to remove this solid beast with ease, but the first bite will erase any memory of difficulty. Cooled cakes are more manageable to remove, and the longer this flavorful cake is left to rest, the more pronounced the added spices will become. 

Serve with dollops of homemade honey whipped cream, enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, or pour a dram of bourbon to sip with your sweet. This dessert breaks all the rules, and we are grateful to Garten for it.