Sweet, dense and stickily chewy, this simple cake is fabulous at any time of the day. You could even serve it warm for dessert with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

For the cake:

• 230 g/8 oz butter, diced
• 120 ml/4 fl oz clear honey
• 75 ml/2½ fl oz golden syrup
• 100 g/3½ oz light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 85 g/3 oz toasted pine nuts
• 230 g/8 oz self-raising flour

For the topping:

• 28 g/1 oz toasted pine nuts
• 4 tablespoons clear honey

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/Gas mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-inch round cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

Put the butter, honey, golden syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently over low heat, stirring, until the butter has melted and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts and stir the rest into the mixture. Sift the flour over the mixture, then stir to combine. Pour batter into the prepared cake tin. Sprinkle the reserved pine nuts on top.

Bake cake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

While the cake is still warm, prepare the topping. Put the pine nuts and honey in a pan and warm gently until runny. Pour over the cake, spreading the mixture evenly.