Greece is the word

Sunday, January 24, 2016


Last December, my friend Katrina announced she was hosting a contest for readers to win a basket of Greek delicacies from Trofos. A couple of weeks later, I was thrilled to hear I was one of the lucky winners. It wasn't long before I received a package with an international postmark; I opened it to see a cute snowman decoration: 
and took the lid off to see these amazing products:


You'll notice two of the jars were wrapped in tissue to prevent them from breaking. And as I unwrapped them, I found myself thinking, "I hope one of these is Greek honey."  I couldn't believe my luck when I found a jar of Greek wild thyme honey in one of those packages. While everything in the basket was terrific, I practically sprinted to the computer to find a recipe that uses wild thyme honey. I found a real winner in this lemon cake with a wild thyme honey glaze.  It's the glaze that really makes the cake shine, so definitely go the extra mile to find this gorgeous honey that's both strong and sweet. And once you have it, don't even think about using it on toast - I'm saving mine for the next time I bake this lovely dessert.

Thanks to Katrina for this terrific prize! Be sure to check out her blog for a modern take on Greek cooking, and her thoughts on the history and mythology of that beautiful country.


Lemon cake with Greek wild thyme honey
(adapted from My Little Expat Kitchen

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
zest of 2 lemons, grated
1 tsp lemon extract
4 large eggs
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream

2/3 cup icing sugar
5 Tbsp whipping cream
1 Tbsp Greek wild thyme honey
chopped pistachios

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine softened butter, sugar, lemon zest in stand mixer, and beat on low until just combined. Add lemon extract and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Crack eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Add the beaten eggs to the bowl in four additions, beating well after each addition to fully combine them.

Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Pour half the flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture, and stir until combined. Add the sour cream and stir to mix, then add the rest of the flour mixture. Stir only until combined.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes. Test for doneness; if not fully cooked, leave it in another 5 minutes or until cooked.

Leave the cake in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then remove it and take off the parchment. Let cake cool completely before icing.

To make the glaze, combine the icing sugar, whipping cream and honey in a medium bowl. Mix well until you have a smooth glaze. Spread it over the cake and top with chopped pistachios.




20 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

o yep..I still remember that giveaway. Lucky you, Beth. And you definitely make a great use of the products. The lemon loaf looks splendid!

Unknown said...

That cake looks perfect! That drippy glaze and those pistachios are the perfect additions.

Julie said...

How beautiful! And lucky you! I'd love to visit Greece. My son and his girlfriend went this past fall and loved it. Have a great week.

Cheri Savory Spoon said...

What a beautiful loaf Beth, looks like you received some great things in your package.

That Girl said...

So jealous! What a fantastic package!

Bonnie said...

Beth, The lemon cake looks so yummy! I will be looking for some greek wild thyme honey. Thanks for sharing....

Stephen Tremp said...

Beth, anything lemony is a hit in my household. Especially something baked in the oven early in the morning. Thanks for sharing!

Marcelle said...

What a terrific prize to win :) This cake with a gorgeous glaze looks irresistible!

Tricia Buice said...

Congratulations - what a wonderful gift! That honey sounds amazing - I am a big fan of thyme. Good for you!

Jemi Fraser said...

Lucky you!!! That's a fabulous prize and the cake looks amazing!!

Monica said...

What a fabulous box of goodies! I'm excited just looking at the pics. And the honey sure is a treat. Wonderful use of it in this cake!

grace said...

what a great prize! you've put that honey to excellent use, as this cake looks absolutely delicious!

DMS said...

What a wonderful basket of goodies to receive. So glad you got the honey you wanted. Your lemon cake looks and sounds tasty! :)
~Jess

Claudia said...

I do love every type of lemon cake under the sun. So wonderful with thyme infused honey! Can I be slightly amused that the present came with a snowman .... from Greece!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Lucky you! What a great haul. And lucky us! This is such a nice recipe. I love lemon anything, but cake is particularly nice. And with thyme honey? Just a great flavor combo! Really nice -- thanks.

Katerina said...

I am so glad you liked the basket and thank you for the shout out! I hope you will enjoy the rest of the goodies too! Your cake looks terrific!

Beth said...

I loved it, Katerina! Thanks again for a great prize.

Andrea_TheKitchenLioness said...

Dear Beth, what a lovely price to win - a wonderful package of goodies. The Greek wild thyme honey certainly sounds exquisite and your pound cake looks very elegant and utterly delicious!

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

What a fun prize! Cute post title too!

nancy at good food matters said...

congratulations on winning this! I have long heard that Greek wild thyme honey is Superb--so happy it was included in the basket.

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