Italian Honey Ring Cake

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings make 1 cake

Ingredients

Dough

340g plain flour

3 eggs

3 tbsp anise liquor (or rum)

2 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil (or light olive oil)

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

¼ tsp sea salt

Syrup

60g caster sugar

220g honey

60g flaked almond

Decorations

Gold glitter pump

Sprinkles

Chocolate candies (mermaid pearls)

1½L vegetable oil

Method

For the dough, add the eggs, sugar, anise liquor, oil, zests and salt in a big bowl and mix them well.

Slowly add the sifted flour. Knead the dough on a wooden bench for a few minutes. Let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.

Roll the dough (around 0.5 cm thickness) and cut thin strips. Once you have the strips, you can cut small portions (It’s like making small gnocchi). The pieces should be big like a nail. Deep fry them. Once they are golden, remove them from the hot oil and leave them to drain in a bowl with some paper towel.

In the meantime, make the syrup. Add the honey and the sugar in a saucepan on low heat. Once the sugar is melted, keep it on the saucepan for an extra minute or two. Don’t cook it too long though. (You don’t want the sugar to become caramel)

Add the cooked dough, and the flaked almonds and mix well, making sure all the balls are covered in syrup.

Build the ring around a small cup (or something cylindrical). Cut the lemon in half and using these two parts, build the ring. The hot sugar won’t stick to the lemon and it will make this process so easy.

Add the Mermaid Pearls, sprinkle and glitter. Leave it to cool down. Enjoy it.