AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — This past summer, the National Honey Board (NHB) presented the Quince Honey Cake contest, in partnership with Quinceañera.com, where one lucky U.S. Latina teenager celebrating her quinceañera, a Latin tradition for a young lady’s 15th birthday, had a chance to win a quince cake made with nature’s sweetener: honey! The long awaited big event of the grand prize culminated in Austin, Texas with teenager Twila R. celebrating her quinceañera in decadent style with an exquisite four-layer coral and silver accented Quince Honey Cake.
Designed by award-winning Austin Pastry Chef Michelle Doyon, owner and Executive Pastry Chef of Michelle’s Patisserie, the Quince Honey Cake is a unique recipe – Honey-Vanilla Cake with Honey-Lavender Soak and Honey-Vanilla Buttercream – a special version of Doyon’s best-selling Honey Lavender Cake sold at her shop, recreated here into the teen’s dream cake for her party and her 175 guests.
Inspired by the unique and distinctive taste of golden honey in cakes and pastries, Doyon’s exclusive recipe for the NHB and Twila is one-of-a-kind because of the unparalleled natural flavor of the honey in the cake, the filling and the icing, in combination with the subtle floral notes of the lavender. It’s baked into the cake, used in the recipe’s delicate honey lavender soak and in the honey buttercream icing.
“The National Honey Board is thrilled to have been a part of Twila’s quinceañera in such a special way,” said Jessica Schindler, Marketing Specialist for the NHB. “We hope she and her guests enjoyed her special day and that her party and her Quince Honey Cake remain golden memories for many years to come.”
Following is Doyon’s decadent Honey-Vanilla Cake with Honey-Lavender Soak and Honey-Vanilla Buttercream recipe, which can also be found on www.mielpura.org.
Honey-Vanilla Cake with Honey-Lavender Soak and Honey-Vanilla Buttercream
Makes 10 – 12 servings
Honey-Vanilla Cake
Ingredients:
½ cup honey
1½ cup cake flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk
Honey-Lavender Soak
Ingredients:
½ cup lavender honey
½ cup water
2-3 drops lavender extract
Honey-Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients:
½ cup honey
12 – 4 oz. sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ cup vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Honey-Vanilla Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two 8-inch cake pans with butter and dust with all-purpose flour. In a large mixing bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat in the butter on low speed. Sprinkle in sugar slowly and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add honey and eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and milk, and beat on medium-high, just until blended. Scrape bottom of bowl to fully incorporate. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Unmold and cool completely.
Honey-Lavender Soak
In a small sauce pan, combine water and honey. Bring to a boil, cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until honey mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add 2-3 drops of lavender extract to taste.
Honey-Vanilla Buttercream and Frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the honey, butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar gradually until fully incorporated. Then beat on high for about 2-3 minutes till light and fluffy.
Assembly:
Cut the tops off the two cakes to level your cake layers. Use a pastry brush to lightly apply Honey-Lavender soak to the tops of the cakes.
Sit your first layer of cake. Apply a layer of Honey-Vanilla buttercream to the layer as a filling. Repeat this process for the second cake layer.
Ice outside of cake with remaining Honey-Vanilla buttercream. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
About the National Honey Board
The National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. For more information, visit www.mielpura.org.
