Black Pepper Spice Cake with Cinnamon Honey Glaze

Swedish spice cake is a little too good to eat only at Christmas. Give this version a try.

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses

For the cinnamon honey glaze

• 1/3 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 inch of cinnamon stick
• Preheat your oven to 350˚F, then generously grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. In a second medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, chopped walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cloves. Set both bowls aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar and molasses with an electric mixer until fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk mixture and beat until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining wet and dry mixtures, and beat the batter for 1 minute on medium-high speed.

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack, set upright and let cool 10 minutes.

While the cake cools, make the glaze by simmering the water, honey and cinnamon stick in a small pot over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, and let the syrup cool 5 minutes before brushing (or spooning) it over the still-warm-from-the-oven spice cake.