Honey Cream Cake

This layered honey-almond cream cake is kind of incredible and I’m so excited to share this recipe! I recently started reading about German Bee Sting Cake, and while this is not like the most traditional version of that dessert, this is an easy-to-make, really delicious version that I think you’ll love.

Honey in general feels like a comforting flavor, so I think this is a perfect late fall treat. It would even be a great option for Thanksgiving dessert if you’re trying to steer away from pie. It’s a simple sponge cake topped with a honey almond syrup, and filled with a fluffy honey cream. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Honey Cream Cake

This recipe starts out with a simple sponge cake- I’m making a hot milk sponge cake. You’ll want to use either a pan with a removable bottom like the tart pan I have used here, or a springform pan to make the cake easier to remove after you bake it. We’re starting out by beating together eggs and sugar until they are very pale and thick, and then adding in vanilla extract and folding in the dry ingredients.

Finally, you’ll gently fold in a hot milk and butter mixture until everything is well combined, and still light and fluffy. Pour this batter into your cake pan and then it’s off to the oven. You want to bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

While the cake bakes, it’s time to make the almond topping. It’s super simple- you just add a few ingredients to a small pot and let it boil for 2 minutes before removing from the heat and stirring in the sliced almonds to coat fully. When the cake is baked, you can add the almond topping to it while it’s still hot and use a spoon to spread it out evenly. Bake to the oven until the topping is a deep golden brown like the picture below!

Once the cake is cooled, you want to slice it into two layers as evenly as possible. Then, take the top layer of cake (the layer with the honeyed almonds), and gently slice it into as many servings as you like. Slicing this layer first ensures that when you go to serve the cake, the cream doesn’t get pushed out from cutting into the cake.

Top the bottom layer with the cream mixture- it should be thick enough to really pile into a thick layer. Then arrange the top pieces on top, and slice to serve!

Tips and Tricks for Honey Cream Cake

Here are all my tips and tricks to help you make the perfect Honey Cream Cake!

• How do I know when the eggs are finished whipping? The egg and sugar mixture should be thick, pale, and it should fall off your beats in ribbons when it’s fully whipped.
• Why do I have to gently fold in the flour and hot milk? You want to be really gentle with how you incorporate any ingredients after whipping eggs to make sure the eggs stay well aerated. This adds to the lift of the cake and the texture, so take the extra time to be gentle!
• The almond mixture doesn’t have to be perfectly spread, you just want it to be as even as possible. It’s thick, and the cake will be hot, so be gentle and take your time.
• Do I have to use a spring form or removable bottom pan? This type of pan will make it much easier to remove the cake. You can, however, use a 9 inch regular round cake pan lined with parchment paper that has over-hanging pieces to help with removal as well!
• Why do I have to slice the top layer of the cake? Since the honeyed almonds become firm and almost crisp, cutting the cake after it’s filled will cause the cream to squish out of the cake. You want even layers with lots of cream!
• Do I have to use instant pudding mix? I think this is a really easy cheat-step for this recipe, and the results are just as fabulous. By all means, if you prefer to use a homemade custard with folded in whipped cream, go for it!
• This cake will keep for about a week when covered and refrigerated.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft above sea level, and I find that most people who live between 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Honey Cream Cake

Servings 16 slices

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1/8 tsp. salt

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 2/3 cups whole milk
• 2 tbs melted butter

For the topping:

• 3 tbs. butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

For the filling:

1. In a large microwave safe bowl, add the heavy cream, milk, and honey. Microwave the mixture for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is steaming hot, and then whisk it to fully incorporate the honey. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours before continuing.
2. Once the mixture has chilled, add in the instant vanilla pudding mix and use an electric hand mixer to whip until you have a thick, fluffy cream mixture. Cover and chill until ready to assemble the cake.

For the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch cake pan with a removable bottom- either a fluted deep-edged tart pan, or a spring form pan. Optionally, line the pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric hand mixer until the mixture becomes very thick and pale. Continue whipping until the mixture is very thick and fluffy, and leaves ribbons on the batter when you lift the beaters. This should take about 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla paste and stir to combine.
3. Sift the flour mixture into the eggs, and gently fold it together until there are no steaks of flour remaining. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk and melted butter in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds, or until it feels very warm to the touch, but it’s not boiling. Fold the warm milk into the batter until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
4. Remove the cake from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

For the topping:

1. While the cake bakes, place the butter, honey, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is boiling, and then continuing cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the almonds until everything is well coated.
2. Once the cake comes out of the oven, gently spread the hot almond syrup mixture over the top in an even layer- it doesn’t have to be perfect! Return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the topping is bubbling and become a deep golden brown all over.
3. Let the cake cool completely before removing to slice and assemble.

To assemble:

1. Remove the cooled cake from your pan, and slice the cake across the middle into two stackable layers. I find this is easiest to do with a very sharp serrated knife, and by taking it slow so you can try to get even layers. Then take the top layer of the cake (the one with the almonds on top), and place it onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut this layer into as many slices as you’d like to serve- for me this cake makes a generous 16 slices.
2. Place the bottom cake layer onto your serving plate, and optionally drizzle another tablespoon or so of honey onto this cake directly. Gently spoon and spread the chilled filling over this layer, reaching all the way to the edges. Finally, reassemble the top layer on top of the filling. By pre-slicing the top layer, the filling won’t squish out of the sides when you slice the cake to serve it. Enjoy this cake chilled!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!