CAKE
- 1 1⁄4 cups butter, room temperature
- 5 eggs
- 4 tsp. fennel seed
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
HONEY GLAZE
- 1⁄2 cup butter
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 1⁄4 cup light cream
- 1 cup icing sugar
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and lightly flour a 9” x 13” pan.
Toast fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and crush slightly with a mortar and pestle (or a wine bottle works well too). In a medium bowl, combine crushed seeds with flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat butter in bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and honey, beating for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. While cake bakes, prepare glaze. Immediately upon removing from oven, poke holes in cake with a toothpick or skewer and pour glaze over all of cake. Place on wire rack to cool completely.
GLAZE: In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey and light cream. Heat over low heat until butter is melted.
Remove from heat and whisk in icing sugar until smooth.
