I couldn’t resist sharing my Honey Cream Cake, with spongy, fluffy layers sandwiched by sour cream frosting and topped with crushed nuts to pique your curiosity.

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I never planned on making anything dramatic, just an Easy Honey Cake with Sour Cream Frosting that somehow turns out spongy and light. I use all purpose flour for the layers and full fat sour cream for the frosting, then finish with crushed nuts so every bite has that tiny crunch.

This feels like a Honey Cream Cake you stumble into on a good day, and it sits right alongside other Desserts With Sour Cream that taste like you put in way more effort than you did. Honest, simple, a little imperfect, and something I keep making even when I said I wouldnt.

Ingredients

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All purpose flour: Provides carbs and structure, little fiber or protein, makes cake tender
Eggs: Rich in protein and fat, they help bind and give lift and moisture
Honey: Natural sweetener adds flavor, some antioxidants and trace minerals, kinda sweeter than sugar
Oil or butter: Adds moistness and richness, oil is neutral, butter gives more flavor and tender crumb
Sugar: Sweetens and helps browning, gives tenderness but little nutritional value
Sour cream: Adds tang and creaminess, higher fat makes frosting silky and balances sweetness
Nuts: Offer crunch, healthy fats, protein and fiber, they taste great toasted
Cinnamon: Warm spice that boosts flavor, also gives aroma and small antioxidant benefits

Ingredient Quantities

for the cake

1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup honey (mild or wild)

1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola) or melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup milk, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

optional 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (i usually toss it in)

for the sour cream frosting

2 cups (480 g) full fat sour cream, well chilled

1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

topping

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted and roughly crushed

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8 or 9 inch round pans with parchment, or use one 9×13 if you prefer. While oven warms, toast 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat or on a baking sheet 5 to 7 minutes until fragrant, then roughly crush and set aside to cool.

2. Whisk together 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and optional 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set the dry mix aside.

3. In a large bowl beat 4 large eggs (room temp) with 1 cup granulated sugar until paler and a little airy, about 2 to 3 minutes by hand or with a mixer. Add 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup neutral oil or melted unsalted butter, 1/4 cup milk (room temp), and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until combined.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently until just combined. A few small streaks are fine, dont overmix or the cake can get dense. Batter should be smooth and slightly thick.

5. Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes for rounds (longer if you use a 9×13), until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

6. For the sour cream frosting: make sure 2 cups (480 g) full fat sour cream is very well chilled. In a bowl combine sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Gradually add 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar to taste, whisking gently until smooth and spreadable. Taste and adjust sugar, remember colder sour cream whips up thicker.

7. If the frosting seems too loose chill it 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge, or add a little more powdered sugar to reach a thicker, spreadable consistency. Dont overwhip or it can separate.

8. Level the cake tops if needed, place one layer on your serving plate and spread a generous layer of the sour cream frosting. Top with the second layer, then frost the top and sides evenly. Work quickly so frosting stays cool.

9. Press the toasted, roughly crushed nuts onto the top (and sides if you like) and chill the assembled cake at least 1 hour so the frosting firms and slices cleanly. For best flavor let it rest a few hours or overnight in the fridge.

10. Slice with a sharp knife wiped between cuts, serve chilled or at cool room temp. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge 2 to 3 days, the cake actually gets better after a few hours as the honey flavor settles in.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven plus cake pans (two 8 or 9 inch round pans or one 9×13) and parchment paper
2. Mixing bowls (large for batter, medium for dry ingredients/frosting)
3. Electric mixer or a hand whisk
4. Measuring cups and spoons (and kitchen scale if you use grams)
5. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding/scraping
6. Dry skillet or baking sheet for toasting nuts
7. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for powdered sugar
8. Cooling rack
9. Sharp knife for leveling and slicing (wipe between cuts)

FAQ

Can I use a different pan size and how does that change baking time? Yes, you can use an 8 inch round for a taller cake, bake 35 to 40 minutes, or a 9×13 pan for a thinner cake, bake 22 to 28 minutes. Always check with a toothpick.

My frosting is runny, what do I do? Chill it for 20 to 30 minutes so it firms up. If it stays too loose, whisk in up to 1/2 cup more powdered sugar, or fold in 1/4 cup mascarpone or cream cheese to stabilize.

Can I skip the sour cream frosting? Sure, use whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar. Just remember whipped cream wont hold up as long in the fridge.

Why did my cake come out dense or gummy? Likely overmixing the batter, underbaking, or using cold ingredients. Make sure eggs and milk are room temp and fold gently.

Can I make this dairy free or vegan? You can: use plant milk and vegetable oil, swap eggs for suitable vegan egg replacers (like flax eggs or a commercial replacer) and use coconut or soy yogurt for the frosting but it may be looser and more perishable.

How long will the cake keep and can I freeze it? With sour cream frosting it keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly up to 2 months, thaw in the fridge before frosting.

Easy Honey Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a slightly nuttier, denser cake, or use a gluten free 1:1 baking blend plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum per cup to keep the crumb (texture will change).
Neutral oil or melted butter: use refined coconut oil 1:1 for same moistness (use refined if you don’t want coconut flavor), or replace up to half the oil with unsweetened applesauce 1:1 to cut fat — cake will be a bit denser.
Full fat sour cream (frosting): substitute full fat Greek yogurt 1:1 — chill and strain briefly if too thin, or use mascarpone 1:1 for a richer, less tangy finish.
Powdered sugar: make your own by blitzing granulated sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch per cup until powdery, then sift and use same volume; or swap some sweetness with honey or maple but reduce the sour cream and whisk to a thicker consistency.

Pro Tips

1. Get everything truly room temp and handle the honey right. Cold eggs or milk make the batter seize up so bring them out about 30 minutes before. If your honey is thick give the jar a quick warm water bath so it pours easily, but dont heat it hot or you could cook the eggs when you mix.

2. Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, dont scoop straight from the bag, that packs too much flour and makes the cake dense. When you fold the dry into the wet go slow and gentle, a few streaks left is fine, overmixing = tough cake.

3. Treat the sour cream like a cold commodity. Keep it very well chilled and use a cold bowl, taste and add powdered sugar slowly, dont overwhip or it can split. If the frosting is too soft chill it 20 to 30 minutes rather than dumping in lots more sugar which will change the flavor.

4. Toast and cool the nuts fully before touching the frosting so they stay crunchy and dont make the frosting weep. After assembling chill the cake at least an hour so it firms up, slice with a sharp knife wiped between cuts and the slices will be much cleaner.

Easy Honey Cake Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I couldn't resist sharing my Honey Cream Cake, with spongy, fluffy layers sandwiched by sour cream frosting and topped with crushed nuts to pique your curiosity.

Servings

servings

Calories

479

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven plus cake pans (two 8 or 9 inch round pans or one 9×13) and parchment paper
2. Mixing bowls (large for batter, medium for dry ingredients/frosting)
3. Electric mixer or a hand whisk
4. Measuring cups and spoons (and kitchen scale if you use grams)
5. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding/scraping
6. Dry skillet or baking sheet for toasting nuts
7. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for powdered sugar
8. Cooling rack
9. Sharp knife for leveling and slicing (wipe between cuts)

Ingredients

for the cake
1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey (mild or wild)
1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola) or melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (i usually toss it in)
for the sour cream frosting
2 cups (480 g) full fat sour cream, well chilled
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
topping
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted and roughly crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8 or 9 inch round pans with parchment, or use one 9×13 if you prefer. While oven warms, toast 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat or on a baking sheet 5 to 7 minutes until fragrant, then roughly crush and set aside to cool.
Whisk together 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and optional 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set the dry mix aside.
In a large bowl beat 4 large eggs (room temp) with 1 cup granulated sugar until paler and a little airy, about 2 to 3 minutes by hand or with a mixer. Add 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup neutral oil or melted unsalted butter, 1/4 cup milk (room temp), and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently until just combined. A few small streaks are fine, dont overmix or the cake can get dense. Batter should be smooth and slightly thick.
Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes for rounds (longer if you use a 9×13), until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
For the sour cream frosting: make sure 2 cups (480 g) full fat sour cream is very well chilled. In a bowl combine sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Gradually add 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar to taste, whisking gently until smooth and spreadable. Taste and adjust sugar, remember colder sour cream whips up thicker.
If the frosting seems too loose chill it 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge, or add a little more powdered sugar to reach a thicker, spreadable consistency. Dont overwhip or it can separate.
Level the cake tops if needed, place one layer on your serving plate and spread a generous layer of the sour cream frosting. Top with the second layer, then frost the top and sides evenly. Work quickly so frosting stays cool.
Press the toasted, roughly crushed nuts onto the top (and sides if you like) and chill the assembled cake at least 1 hour so the frosting firms and slices cleanly. For best flavor let it rest a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
Slice with a sharp knife wiped between cuts, serve chilled or at cool room temp. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge 2 to 3 days, the cake actually gets better after a few hours as the honey flavor settles in.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.