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Spiced Honey Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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5 from 1 vote

Spiced Honey Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Dessert

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose baking flour
  • tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • cup organic sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ½ cup buttermilk

For the Frosting

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Coat a 9" cake pan with nonstick spray and line base with a parchment paper round.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl to combine.
  • Combine sugars, oil, honey, egg, egg yolk and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer.
  • Beat mixture until pale and thickened, about 4 minutes.
  • Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually pour in orange juice and buttermilk. Beat until frothy, about 2 minutes.
  • Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients; beat just until smooth. The mixture will be thin, like pancake batter.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake until cake is golden brown and center springs back when gently pressed (a cake tester will not come out clean), 50–55 minutes.
  • Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan.
  • Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen and invert onto rack; let cool completely.

For the Frosting

  • Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest, salt and vanilla. Beat on low speed until mixture is very light and smooth, scraping down sides of bowl.
  • Pile frosting on top of cooled cake and spread to edges.
  • Decorate with nasturtium flowers and leaves (or any edible flowers), rosemary sprigs, variegated sage and pomegranate seeds.

Notes

Inspired by a recipe from Bon Appetit