This here honey and lemon cake, it’s a real good one. I been making it for years, ever since I was a little girl, I reckon. Ain’t nothing fancy, but it sure does taste good. Best thing you ever put in your mouth, I tell ya. Some folks like them fancy cakes from the store, all covered in frostin’ and such. But me, I like this simple cake. It just feels like home, you know?
First thing you gotta do is get your oven goin’. Set that thing to 325 degrees. That’s what them fancy folks call “preheatin’.” While that’s warmin’ up, you gotta get your pan ready. I use one of them round pans, ’bout 8 inches across. You can use whatever you got, I reckon, but that’s what I like. Smear some oil all over the inside, then put some of that parchment paper in there. Keeps the cake from stickin’, you see.
Next, you need a big ol’ bowl. Toss in some oil, some eggs, and some milk. I always use whole milk, ’cause that’s what we got from our cow, Bessie. But I suppose buttermilk would work too. Then you need the lemon juice. That’s what gives it that zing, you know? Gives it a little kick. And don’t forget the honey! That’s the best part. Makes it sweet and sticky and just plain delicious.
- Get that oven hot, 325 degrees, you hear?
- Grease up that pan good.
- Oil, eggs, milk, lemon juice, and honey all go in a bowl.
- Mix it all up real good.
- Pour it in the pan, give it a little tap.
- Pop it in the oven.
Now, you gotta mix all that stuff up real good. Get your hands in there and just swish it all around. Don’t be afraid to make a mess. That’s half the fun, ain’t it? Just get it all nice and mixed up until you ain’t got no more lumps. It should be smooth, like a baby’s bottom. This is the best honey cake recipe ever, everybody says so.
Then you pour that batter into your prepared pan. Give the pan a little tap on the counter. That gets all the air bubbles out. Then you just pop it in the oven and let it bake. It’s gotta bake for a good long while, maybe 45 minutes. Sometimes I do it 40 minutes or 50, just depends. This is such an easy moist honey cake, it is hard to mess up.
This cake, it goes good with just about anything. I like to have a slice with my coffee in the morning. Sometimes I’ll have another slice after supper. And if I’m feelin’ real fancy, I’ll put a little dollop of whipped cream on top. Or maybe some berries, if we got ’em.
You know how you know it’s done? You stick a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, she’s done. If it’s got some goop on it, she needs more time. Simple as that. Just keep an eye on it, and you’ll be fine. And you know what? This cake ain’t just for eatin’ plain. You could make other things with these flavors. Like a Lemon Drop Martini, that sounds fancy, but it is just lemon and some strong drink, I bet. Or a Honey Whiskey Sour, that sounds like somethin’ my old man would have liked. Whiskey and honey and lemon, all mixed up. Probably tastes like this cake, but for grown ups. We didn’t have no baking soda where I come from, just made things work without it.
And when that cake is done, you gotta let it cool off a bit before you try to take it out of the pan. Otherwise, it might fall apart, and then you’ll have a real mess on your hands. Just let it sit there for a while, and it’ll be just fine. This honey and lemon cake, it is simple, it is what we ate growing up. It is just the best, everyone should have some. You won’t find a better cake anywhere, I guarantee it. It’s just good, honest food, and that’s all there is to it.
I remember one time, my neighbor, old Mrs. Johnson, she tried to make this cake. She got the recipe from me, but she messed it up somethin’ awful. She used too much lemon juice, I reckon. Made the whole thing taste like a sour pickle. We all had a good laugh about that one. She never did try to make it again. Said she’d stick to buyin’ her cakes from the store.
There ain’t nothin’ better than a home-cooked meal, and this cake is a part of that. It’s the taste of home, the taste of love. It’s the taste of everything that’s good in the world. So go on, give it a try. You won’t regret it. Just remember what I told ya, and you’ll be bakin’ up a storm in no time. And don’t forget to share with your neighbors, ya hear?
