Dough
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons sour cream (a thicker, tangier version of sour cream common in Eastern European cuisine)
1 tablespoon butter
1 lb flour (approx. 4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup nuts
a handful of raisins
Syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
0.5 cup water
Cloves, allspice, nutmeg
To prepare the syrup, place the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously until it turns a dark brown color. Carefully (it may splatter) pour in 0.5 cup of boiling water and stir. Grind the spices and add them to the hot syrup, cover, and let it cool completely before straining. Once cooled, add the baking soda to the syrup and mix well. Chop the nuts, soak the raisins in hot water, and then dry them. Take 2 tablespoons of the flour needed for the dough and mix it with the raisins and nuts. Warm the honey until it becomes liquid, then let it cool.
Beat the eggs with the sugar, then add the honey, sour cream, and butter. Gradually add the flour while pouring in the syrup, and mix in the cinnamon. The dough should have the consistency of thick sour cream. When the dough is well mixed (bubbles should appear on the surface), fold in the nuts, raisins, and the remaining flour, mixing thoroughly.
Bake first at 320°F (160°C), then increase to 400°F (200°C). Use a 6.3 x 13.4-inch (16 x 34 cm) baking pan. Once the honey cake is completely cooled, wrap it in a towel, then in paper, and finally in a plastic bag, storing it away from others for at least a week. I baked my honey cake on December 30th for Christmas. It keeps well for a long time.