A dense, yummy dessert that will fill your kitchen with old-world fragrance.

Ingredients for Loretta’s German Honey Cake

• 1-1/2 cups honey
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 4 T butter, softened
• 2 t lemon juice
• 1 T kirsch or rum (optional)
• 4-1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups ground almonds
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t cloves
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 4 T chopped candied lemon peel
• 4 T chopped candied orange peel
• (or 1/2 cups chopped mixed candied fruit in place of above)

For Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 2 T kirsch , rum, or lemon juice

Preparing Loretta’s German Honey Cake

Warm honey and sugar. Mix with eggs, butter, lemon juice and kirsch. Combine dry ingredients. Add to honey mixture with candied fruit. Press into a large, buttered and floured cookie sheet, or roll out and cut as desired. Bake at 350F until firm and browned.

Icing: Mix sugar with kirsch, rum, or lemon juice. Pour onto cake while still hot from oven so it will soak in.