Honey Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup clover honey
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 egg whites
• Honey Whipped Cream, recipe follows
• Mint, for garnish
• Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and sugar one 9-inch tube pan or one 8 to 10-cup fluted tube or bundt pan. Shake pan to remove excess sugar. Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt together twice. In a large bowl beat butter until creamy. Gradually add honey and 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until well mixed, for 2 to 4 minutes. Beat egg yolks in 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts. Beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. In another large bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating on high speed, until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Pour into pan and bake until tester comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and then invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely.

Serve topped with whipped cream and garnished with mint and powdered sugar.

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons tupelo honey

Whip ingredients with hand-held or stand mixer until thick.