(have all ingredients at room temperature)

3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups (16-oz. jar) honey
2 sticks unsalted (sweet) butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 rounded tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons black rum, bourbon or other pungent liquor
1 tablespoon black poppy seeds
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom

Pre-heat oven to 350�. When the butter is soft, mash it into the honey, using a fork. In the following order, add eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, all spices, and poppy seeds. Slowly add rum and milk, blending throughly with a fork, electric mixer or eggbeater. Pour into greased cake pans. (This recipe will make two thick layers or three thin ones.) Bake at 350� until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean-30 minutes or so, depending on your oven. Frost with boiled white icing, seven-minute icing, French icing or cream cheese icing.

- Josephus Rex Imperator