As alluded to previously, before I popped up to Leeds for the Bloggers Blog Awards, I went to my parents in Scotland and due to the weather on a couple of the days, I ended up doing a good amount of baking. Ingredients up there can be slightly more awkward due to a need for things to keep. My dad also has a bread machine, and because of this he has a large stock of different flours. We unearthed a bag of rye that he practically begged us to use as he had no plans to and didn’t want it to go to waste. After raiding the cupboards we worked out that honey was probably the best ingredient we had at our disposal for doing something cake-y. Some quick (by my parents island internet standards) googling took place and we found that honey & rye cake is actually a particular french special.

This was one of a number of things we baked on the trip,; we started with a Chocolate & Cardamom Loaf and on another day made a giant batch of focaccia. This particular cake was perfect for the weather were experiencing though. While the sun did come out later in the week, a nice heavy, sticky honey and ginger cake was ideal for eating with a cup of tea looking out at the rain. The combination of rye and sweet honey gives it a similar feel to when you make a normal ginger cake with treacle. Finishing the cake off with a dusting of icing sugar works wonderfully, but no more is needed than that. It doesn’t need a drizzle or any frosting.

I’ll be posting a few photos from the trip north shortly, as well as the recipe for the focaccia we baked.