Scripture Cake and Burnt Sugar Syrup

I first came across references to Scripture Cake in a mystery novel, of all places; it intrigued me enough to hunt down a recipe. The cake appears to come from the hills of Appalachia. There are several variations of it; this is, to me, the best of the three that I've personally tried. This is also the only one I've seen that adds any kind of icing, or gives a specific oven temperature.

Traditionally a Scripture Cake recipe would only list a Bible verse and a quantity for each ingredient; you were supposed to look up each verse to figure out what that ingredient might be. But to make your life easier, I'll be nice and give that information too!

Scripture Cake

1 cup Judges 5:25 (butter)
1 and 1/2 cups Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
3 Isiah 10:14 (eggs, yolks & whites separated)
2 cups 1-Kings 4:22 (flour)
2 teaspoons Luke 13:21 (baking powder)
3 teaspoons 1-Kings 10:10 (one each of cinnamon, mace and cloves)
1/2 teaspoon Leviticus 2:13 (salt)
1/2 cup Judges 4:19 or Genesis 43:24 (milk or water)
1 tablespoon Proverbs 24:13 (honey)
2 cups 1-Samuel 30:11 (one each of raisins and finely chopped figs)
1/2 cup Genesis 43:11 (almonds)

Dredge figs, raisins and almonds in 1 tablespoon flour, set aside. Mix together all other dry ingredients.
Cream together butter, sugar and honey; add egg yolks one at a time. Alternately add in dry intredients and milk, beginning and ending with dry. Stir in fruit; batter should be stiff.
Beat egg whites to peaks; stir into batter one cup at a time. Spoon into greased 8x11 baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees one hour. Cool on a wire rack for at least ten minutes before removing from baking dish.

Burnt Sugar Syrup for Scripture Cake

1 and 1/2 cups Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
1/2 cup Genesis 24:45 (water)
1/4 cup Genesis 18:8 (butter)

Melt sugar in saucepan over low heat; stir occasionally, until deep golden brown. Add water, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until it melts. Allow to cool; drizzle over cooled Scripture Cake and garnish with whole almonds.