Honey Spice Cake

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup clover honey
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
4 large egg whites

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350?F. Grease and flour one 9-inch tube pan or one 8- to 10-cup fluted tube or Bundt pan. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together, then sift again into a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Gradually add the honey and 1/4 cup of the sugar to the butter and beat on high speed until well mixed, 2 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat on low and add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the yogurt in two parts. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating on high speed, until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then invert the cake onto the rack and allow to cool completely.

Makes one 9-inch tube cake, about 16 servings