Orange Honey Cake

This is a spin off of a Greek Honey Cake recipe that I found. It reminds me of Baklava just kicked up a notch. I like to serve this with tea or mulled cider.

Makes 1 9x9 inch cake

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 inch square cake pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the zest and vanilla and continue to mix. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, and mix until just combined. Fold in the nuts by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly with an off-set spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Place all the glaze ingredients, minus the orange juice into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the orange juice and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Pour the glaze over the entire cake and let it absorb the glaze as it continues to cool. Serve.