Honey-Drip Layer Cake (Printable)

A decadent honey-infused cake with creamy filling and a central warm honey pot for dipping.

# What you'll need:

→ Cake Layers

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - ½ cup granulated sugar
07 - ½ cup honey
08 - 3 large eggs
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - ¾ cup whole milk

→ Honey Cream Filling

11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - 2 tablespoons honey
13 - ¼ cup mascarpone cheese

→ Central Honey Pot

14 - 1 cup high-quality liquid honey (wildflower or acacia preferred)

→ Garnish

15 - ¼ cup chopped toasted almonds
16 - Edible flowers (optional)
17 - Extra honey for drizzling

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and grease then line two 8-inch round cake pans.
02 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; incorporate honey, eggs, and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly.
04 - Alternately add dry ingredients and whole milk to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; mix just until combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; bake 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean; allow to cool completely.
06 - Whip heavy cream to soft peaks; add honey and mascarpone cheese, then whip to stiff peaks; chill until assembling.
07 - Horizontally slice each cooled cake layer into two thin layers, creating four layers total.
08 - Place first cake layer on serving platter, spread with honey cream, and repeat to stack all layers evenly.
09 - Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut a central hole through the stacked layers; insert a small glass or ceramic honey pot and fill it with liquid honey.
10 - Top cake with chopped toasted almonds, edible flowers if using, and drizzle with extra honey; serve by slicing and dipping each bite into the central honey pot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that tastes as impressive as it looks, turning a simple dessert into a moment everyone remembers.
  • The interactive element of dipping makes eating it feel less like dessert and more like an edible experience shared with friends.
  • Honey's natural sweetness means the cake stays incredibly moist without being cloyingly sweet.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the cakes completely before slicing; warm cake tears and crumbles, turning your elegant dessert into a mess.
  • The honey in the serving pot must be real, liquid honey at room temperature; crystallized or cold honey won't flow the way it needs to for that dipping moment to work.
  • Measure your honey pot opening carefully before you start; if it's too small, the pot gets stuck, and if it's too large, the structure becomes fragile.
03 -
  • Invest in a good quality rotary cake cutter or use a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion when slicing the layers; rushing this step is where most people struggle.
  • Make the honey cream filling while the cakes cool so everything is ready when you need it, and always chill it briefly before layering to make the assembly easier and the structure more stable.
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