The Unabashed Kitchen Wench: Honey Spice Snack Cake

I am having a hard time believing that school is out in less than 2 weeks! How can it be so close to Summer Vacation when Spring has just arrived in my neck of the woods? But, if I needed further proof that school is coming to a close, I will get it tomorrow. It is my son's State Fair in his classroom. At the beginning of the year, each student was asked to choose a state and learn about it all year. Throughout, they have had to gather facts, keep notes and try to collect anything they can from that state, in order to put together a short power point presentation, as well as a table that visitors can check out. The teacher also allows them to bring some foods to share, if it comes from their state.

I was so pleased to find out that Tanner chose Missouri, where I grew up and most of my family still live, as his state. I have also been slightly embarrassed to find out that he has learned more bits of trivia about my state, in just one short year, than I did in 17 years of living there. However, I was able to dig up one fact that he didn't - in 1889, Aunt Jemima pancake flour, invented at St. Joseph, Missouri, was the first self-rising flour for pancakes and the first ready-mix food ever to be introduced commercially. So, what was I doing today? Buying a box of Aunt Jemima pancake mix and trying to figure out a snack to make from it. Luckily for me, there was a recipe on the back of the box for a spice cake. I just needed to amp it up a bit, adding more than just cinnamon as the lone spice in a spice cake, and a few other tweaks.

Here's your Cast of Characters.

2 Cups Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete Pancake and Waffle Mix
2 Tsps. cinnamon
1/2 Tsp., each, nutmeg and dried orange peel
1/4 Tsp., each, ground cloves, allspice and ginger
1/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup melted butter
2/3 Cup milk
2 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan VERY well with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and whisk until all the large lumps are gone. A few small ones are okay, though.

Spread into prepared cake pan.

Bake 16 - 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, before turning out onto wax paper.

While the cake is cooling, mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon. When cake is on wax paper, use either a sifter or a small sieve to dust cake with powdered sugar mixture.