On my last trip to San Francisco I made my way to the Ferry Building to do some shopping, and have lunch with a group of friends. While wandering through the shops we discovered what is now one of my favorite bakeries in the country, Miette. Filled with charming cakes and cupcakes, elegant pastries, and wide array of crisp cookies and dainty confections, a visit to Miette can soften the hardest of hearts. We carefully chose our treats, and left Miette toting cute little boxes tied with ribbon. Miette is owned by Meg and Christopher Ray who first started the bakery in Berkeley, CA  at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market, prior to opening their first shop at the Ferry Building. They now own four shops in the San Francisco Bay area.

Miette is probably the most charming book I have ever owned. Literally. Written by Meg with Leslie Jonath, and beautifully photographed by Frankie Frankeny, this would make a great addition to any cookbook collection. Miette’s Tomboy Cake graces the cover, and the pages of the book have a lovely scalloped edge that immediately has you smiling, and wondering about the recipes that lie within.

Yes the book is pretty, but it is also filled with the wonderful recipes from the Miette Bakery. Meg does not spare attention to detail here.  All the recipes also include the techniques and instructions needed to achieve the same results that they have at the bakery, in your own kitchen. Meg’s instructions are very detailed, and with a few tools, the average home baker can produce the same treats that come from her shops.

I honestly kept changing my mind about which recipe I would share with you, because in all honesty I wanted to make them all. I was recently gifted with a jar of local honey, and thought that the Honey Tea Cake would be a great thing to make from it. I was right. The cake is rich and moist. Drizzled with the honey syrup at the end, it is a perfect afternoon tea cake.

 HONEY TEA CAKE

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 large egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup honey, warmed and diluted with 2 Tablespoons of water to make a syrup

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Liberally butter and flour four 5 x 3  or  two 8 x 4 inch pans. Tap out the excess flour and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl stir together the egg yolks, whole eggs, cream, and vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients and the sugar. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to low, add the butter and half of the egg mixture, and beat until incorporated (about 2 minutes). Raise the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes to add air to build structure. Return the speed to low, add the remaining egg mixture. and beat until just incorporated (2 to 3 minutes longer).

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until the tops are a golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean 20 – 25 minutes for small loaves, and 35 – 40 minutes for the larger ones.

Transfer to wire racks and immediately brush the tops or drizzle with the honey syrup. Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Run an off set spatula or knife around the edges of the pans, invert the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool for another 20 minutes. Serve right away or wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to serve. The cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can also wrap it in a second layer of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours, or on the countertop for 1 to 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.