with Mary Anne Mohanraj
So it turns out that this vegan version of love cake takes a little longer to bake to brown up, but otherwise, it seems to work just fine! I’m happy with the texture, which is the important thing that was worrying me.
I want to try another variation (using egg replacer instead of bananas & aquafaba) before I settle on something final for the cookbook, but this is totally acceptable. It’s a little bit like a cross between banana bread and love cake. Interesting!
Honeycomb honey cake divides up very nicely for sending out to various people. 
Honey-Lemon Pull-Apart Cake
This is just slightly modified from the recipe that comes with this charming pan (link in comments). It makes a light and fluffy cake; you can serve as is, sprinkle powdered sugar on top, or for extra flavor, top with a honey-lemon glaze.
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
4 large eggs
2 T finely grated lemon rind
1 c. sour cream
Glaze:
3 T honey
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Grease and flour pan (or use baking spray); set aside.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl, cream softened butter, sugar, and honey until light and fluffy, scraping bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, and beat until well-blended. Add flour mixture and sour cream in portions, alternately and blend on low; stir in grated lemon rind.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean; cool ten minutes in pan, then turn out to finish cooling on wire rack.
Glaze:In small saucepan, combine all glaze ingredients and heat until sugar dissolves. Brush warm glaze over cooling cake.
How many octopus cakes does one woman need?
Sri Lankan butter cake, with mango and ginger. So nice with a cup of tea.
Jaggery & Treacle Gingersnaps
(30-45 minutes, makes 36 cookies)
4. Bake until medium brown and crinkly, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Me, seeing that a box of peaches has arrived for Kevin, part of a gift subscription from his parents for his birthday last year: “I hope you’re not going to ignore the peaches I’ve spent FIVE YEARS growing for you, just to eat those.”
Kevin: “This could be the subject of an entire sitcom — do I eat your peaches, or my mother’s peaches?”
Dear reader, do not fret! I saved Kevin from this fraught decision, taking the ripest of his mother’s peaches and slicing it up to have with strawberry ice cream, yum.
What a good wife I am, looking out for him that way.
I’ve never tried to write up a complicated cake recipe like this, so please let me know if any of the steps are confusing!
(I feel like it was a good choice to put 25 stars on my 50th birthday cake, and just 1 candle. 
I thought about 50 stars, but it was getting crowded…)
*****
Sri Lankan Butter Cake with Passionfruit Frosting, Fresh Mango, and Lemon Curd
I’m always a little disappointed by American birthday cakes, because I grew up with Sri Lankan butter cake, which I much prefer. It’s a slight variation on the classic British pound cake, and a legacy of colonization. Historically in Sri Lanka, margarine would often be used instead of butter, due to cost, but butter tastes better. This is a somewhat dry cake, which makes it work beautifully with tea if served plain, and pairs well with your choice of fruit filling and frosting for a celebration cake.
NOTE: This recipe is designed for either a square or round cake cooked in a single 8″ or 9″ pan. If you plan to use different sizes of pan, adjust cooking times accordingly. For a classic ribbon cake, you’ll want to cook in separate batches or in multiple pans at the same time, so you can color each layer of cake differently. For 3-4 thin layers cooked separately, bake for roughly 15-20 minutes.
zest of one lime (or lemon)
food coloring (optional)
1/4 c. lemon curd
*****
5. Add finished cake batter to a round 9″ pan and bake for 30-40 minutes (adjust as needed for your pans), until a toothpick comes out clean; turn out onto wire rack and let cool. Serve as is with a nice cup of tea, or add frosting for birthday cake.
NOTE: Cake may be made and refrigerated a day or two ahead (wrap tightly in plastic wrap once cooled), and then frosted, if desired.
3. Slowly add in passionfruit puree; add food coloring if desired. Your frosting is ready to spread on a cake (or eat straight from the bowl).
1. Combine mango and lemon curd.
1. Layer cake, a thin layer of frosting, filling; repeat twice. (You may not use all the filling.)
2. Add the final layer and frost entire cake. Chill to set. Serve with any extra mango & lemon curd filling on the side, to add as desired.
NOTE: Americans often ask me where to find passionfruit puree. I’ve tried several, and so far, like Funkin Pro the best for strong passionfruit flavor, available online. It can also sometimes be found in the Mexican section of the grocery, in the frozen fruit section.
I am not the neatest cake froster, so you have to be a little forgiving here. Someday I’ll learn how to do a better job with it, maybe. Kesar mango (from frozen works just fine) with lemon curd for the filling, Sri Lankan butter cake for the cake. Recipe in next post.
