Syrups (honey included) are a great way of sweetening and flavouring cake. Their viscous nature and rich flavour enhances almost any sponge far more than most sugars – this recipe for syrup sponge cake is no exception. Their use is a fool-proof way to ensure a moist, dense and well-textured crumb, as well as a deep, almost burnished flavour.
Syrup, in my opinion, also does away with the need for overly sweetened layers of icing, which usually have the effect of drowning the natural flavour of your sponge in a little too much decadence. Any syrup you can think of will work well here (except perhaps corn syrup), particularly golden syrup or maple syrup.
