Baking for Beginners: Saucepan Honey and Almond Cake

It's 2012. You're all probably still hungover and definitely stoney broke after all the bloomin' merriment. Soooo ... let's cut to the chase. One saucepan, no mixing bowls and a cake tin. And, well, Bob's your Uncle. Or Fanny's your Aunt. Either way they'll be pleased as punch with this cake when they drop round unannounced not realising that the window for semi-festive uninvited visitors was firmly shut and bolted on January 1st.

You'll need:

• 5 1/2 oz unsalted butter
• 40z sugar (preferably muscovado but caster will suffice if that's all you've got)
• 6oz runny honey
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 6oz self-raising flour
• 1oz ground almonds
• 1/2oz flaked almonds

Make it!

• Preheat your oven to a toasty 180 degrees C. You can consider dumping the boyfriend you only hung onto because you knew he was buying you Vivienne Westwood for Christmas whilst you do this, if you like.
• Line and grease an 8 inch cake tin. I prefer the expandable ones, but any old cake tin will do.
• slosh all the honey, sugar, lemon juice and butter into a saucepan. Heat gently (don't let it boil). Stir until smooth (no sugar granules, thank you please).
• Beat your two eggs.
• Take the honey, sugary, buttery goodness off the heat and slam in the beaten eggs post haste. Quickly beat the mixture together with a wooden spoon (a metal spoon will introduce a change of temperature and this is not good for your eggs, believe you me).
• Sift in the flour and gently combine.
• Pour the whole lot straight into the cake tin and sprinkle liberally with the flaked almonds.
• Pop into the oven and cook for around 35 minutes, or until cooked through and all golden and good-looking, complete with nicely toasted almonds.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• Heat some extra honey and drizzle or brush all over the top to create a delicious and beautiful glaze.
• Eat. Preferably with a large coffee and a good friend (or the aforementioned Uncle Bob/Aunt Fanny if they happen to happen by).