Lavender Honey Spice Cake is from Gina DePalma has been the pastry chef of Babbo Restaurant and Enoteca in New York’s Greenwich Village since it opened over 12 years ago, and is the author of Dolce Italiano: 

Ingredients 

Serves 10 to 12

1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1/2 cup packed dark muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup lavender honey

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Freshly grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

2 tablespoons hot water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder and soda, and spices and set aside.

4. Place the sugar, lavender honey and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat them together on medium speed until the mixture is creamy and light, about a minute.

5. Beat in the melted, cooled butter, followed by the orange juice and zest and vanilla extract.

6. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and hot water.

7. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the sugar and butter mixture, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in 1/2 of the yogurt mixture. 

8. Follow with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by the rest of the yogurt, and ending with the last of the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat the batter well for 20 seconds to fully emulsify it.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing and evening the top.

10. Bake the cake on the center rack for 40 minutes, rotating it halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it is cracked and firm to the touch, and pulling away from the sides of the pan; a cake center inserted in the center should come out clean.

11. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it to a rack to cool completely. To serve, cut into even slices. The cake may be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container.