This recipe is part of The Longevity Dinner post from my blog.

This cake tastes like the holidays.  It’s a deep dark chocolate cake with cinnamon and a touch of cloves.  I used buckwheat flour for part of the flour in the cake because I like how buckwheats “dark” flavor enhances chocolate.  But it does give the cake a dry texture, so you can omit it and use an equal measure of all purpose flour instead.  The cake is topped with a honey cinnamon ganache frosting.

I made mine in a 9.5″ tart shell, just for the heck of it, but an 8″ or 9″ springform works just as well.

Heat the oven to 350F.

Butter and flour an 8″ or 9″ springform

Combine the butter, brown sugar and honey in a medium bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

By hand, add the melted chocolate.

Stir in the flour, buckwheat, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Make sure all the dry ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Set aside to cool to room temperature.

To make the ganache, place the cream and honey together in a small saucepan over a medium heat until the honey has dissolved and the cream is very hot.

Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and cinnamon and stir the mixture until it is smooth and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the cake while the ganache is still warm, it’s easier to spread when it’s still runny. Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the top of the cake.

Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

Makes 8 generous slices