Apple Honey Cake for My Honey and Life

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." Robert Frost

I am not a big fan of the phrase "It seems like there is nothing but bad news lately." Every day all around the world there are tragedies taking place. People suffering and dealing with the ups and downs that life deals us all. Unemployed people worried about how they will feed their children and pay their bills. People trying to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. People both recovering and battling from disease. There are those dying from or affected with famine and war. Natural disasters in all corners of the world. People working hard to put their lives back together.

Sometimes certain events take place that shake our foundations. Those moments that make you realize you need to stop taking your life and loved ones for granted, those moments where you can count yourself lucky because you are surrounded by love. Unfortunately it takes tragedies or low moments in life to push us to become more aware of all we have in our lives. I'm not talking material possessions, while they can be a nice distraction they mean nothing. I am talking about the gifts of giving or receiving love and attention. I will take a hug and the sweet whisper of I love you over any material gift. Those actions are ingrained in my soul and make for lasting happy memories. Albert Einstein said "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." We all face our challenges in our own ways but in the end we all must keep going, and we do. Don't waste your time dwelling on unhappy moments or negative thoughts, nothing but dark energy is gained. Learn the life lesson, make your own positive energy and go on. Hug and tell your loved ones you love them everyday, multiple times a day. Cherish the time, the memories you build together. Mend those broken relationships, only good can come from it. Love and being surrounded by love is what keeps us all moving forward. Cherish today, cherish everyday.

I made this Apple Honey Cake for my husband a while back. Just on a whim he mentioned liking apple cake and I thought I'd surprise him with one. My recipe is quite simple, I am not the most experienced baker so there is nothing fancy or complicated about it. It was just meant as a small token of love and as a sweet treat to go with our evening tea. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Apple Honey Cake for My Honey
Makes one small cake (my pan is 7" or 17 cm)

Ingredients:
3 small apples weighing 400 g, after core and chopped 300 g
1.5 cups (220g) A.P. Flour
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Bourbon vainilla
pinch salt


Wet Ingredients:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 tbsp. honey
1 medium egg
3/4 cup (177 ml) whole milk

1 extra apple, cored-quartered and thinly sliced
whole or slivered almonds to decorate, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375f or 200c. Melt the butter and allow to cool. Prepare a small round baking pan. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Mix in the chopped apples and set aside.

2. In a separate large bowl, mix the cooled melted butter, honey, egg and milk. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Continue gently mixing the ingredients just until combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan, make sure it is evenly distributed. Arrange the thin apple slices in a circular patter on top of the cake. If you wold like to add almonds either sprinkle the slivered almonds on top or decorate the top with whole almonds.

3. Bake in center of oven for 40 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Allow to settle and cool completely before serving. Serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

I'd also like to thank all of you for the sweet messages regarding the Huffington Post feature. You guys are so supportive and it's wonderful being part of such a giving and supportive community. Thank you!