This Honey-Apple-Almond Cake Recipe is a moist and flavorful recipe, which is made with apple butter and a silky almond buttercream. It’s a special occasion cake, ready in about 4 hours (including cooling).
Jump to RecipeHoney-Apple-Almond Cake Ingredients
A delicious combination of fall flavors for a special occasion cake.
For the Basic Vanilla Cake Layers:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup water
For the Almond Buttercream Frosting:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
For the Assembly & Filling:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup apple butter
- Sliced almonds, toasted, for topping
How To Make Honey-Apple-Almond Cake
A step-by-step guide to baking and assembling this beautiful fall cake.
- Prep Oven and Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans (butter, line with parchment, butter and flour).
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Mix Cream and Water: In a small bowl, mix the heavy cream and water together.
- Alternate Wet and Dry: On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients (in 3 parts) and the cream mixture (in 2 parts) to the batter, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Bake and Cool: Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Make the Buttercream Base: Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm (3-4 minutes).
- Whip the Meringue: Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer. Whip with the whisk attachment on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and the bowl is cool to the touch (6-8 minutes). Beat in the almond extract.
- Finish the Buttercream: Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium speed, add the softened butter a few pieces at a time. Continue beating until the frosting is silky and smooth. (It may look curdled first—just keep beating!).
- Prepare the Honey Syrup: In a small saucepan, bring the honey and 2 tablespoons of water to a gentle simmer. Let it cool slightly.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one completely cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Brush it with half of the honey syrup. Spread the apple butter evenly over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Frost and Decorate: Place the second cake layer on top and gently press down. Brush the top of this layer with the remaining honey syrup. Cover the top and sides of the entire cake with the almond buttercream frosting.
- Add Nuts: Gently press the toasted sliced almonds all over the top and sides of the cake to cover it completely.
Recipe Tips
- Why did my buttercream look curdled? This is totally normal for Swiss meringue buttercream! As the butter is added (Step 10), the mixture’s temperature will be uneven, and it will look curdled or soupy. The solution is to just keep beating on medium-high speed. It will come back together into a perfectly silky, smooth frosting.
- How do I get a fluffy, tender cake? Using room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, cream, milk) is essential. This allows the ingredients to emulsify, creating a smooth batter that traps air, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake.
- Do I really have to cool the cakes completely? Yes, 100%. If the cake layers are even slightly warm, the butter in the frosting will melt, and your beautiful cake will become a soupy, sliding mess.
- What is apple butter? Apple butter is not dairy butter. It’s a highly concentrated, slow-cooked apple sauce, which is dark brown and has a deep, caramelized, spiced apple flavor. It’s perfect as a filling.
What To Serve With Honey-Apple-Almond Cake
This is a rich, complex, and celebratory cake that is a full dessert on its own.
- A hot cup of black coffee or an espresso
- A cup of spiced tea
- A small glass of Amaretto (to match the almond flavor)
How To Store Honey-Apple-Almond Cake
- Refrigerate: Because the frosting is a butter-and-egg-white-based meringue, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Keep it in a cake dome or airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Serve: This cake tastes much better at room temperature. Let it sit out for 1-2 hours before serving to allow the butter in the cake and frosting to soften.
Honey-Apple-Almond Cake Nutrition Facts
(Per slice, assuming 16 slices)
- Calories: ~580 kcal
- Total Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Cholesterol: 130mg
- Sodium: 280mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 55g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 38g
- Protein: 6g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
It’s a very stable, silky, and less-sweet frosting made by dissolving sugar in egg whites over heat (making it safe to eat), then whipping them into a meringue, and finally beating in butter.
Yes, this is a great cake to make over two days. Day 1: Bake the cake layers, cool them completely, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature. Day 2: Make the buttercream, assemble, and frost the cake.
Yes, if you can’t find apple butter, you could use a thick apple jam, a thin layer of dulce de leche, or just use the almond buttercream as the filling.
Honey-Apple-Almond Cake Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
servings45
minutes30
minutes580
kcalA beautiful 2-layer vanilla cake, brushed with honey, filled with spiced apple butter, and covered in a silky almond-flavored Swiss meringue buttercream.
Ingredients
Cake: 2 sticks butter (room temp), 3 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 large eggs (room temp), 1 tbsp vanilla, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup water
Frosting: 4 large egg whites, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp almond extract, 3 sticks butter (room temp)
Filling: 3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp water, 3/4 cup apple butter, Sliced almonds (toasted)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prep two 9-inch pans (grease, parchment, flour).
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream 2 sticks butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Mix cream and water. On low, alternate adding the dry mix and the cream mix to the batter (begin/end with dry).
- Divide batter into pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
- Frosting: Whisk egg whites and 1 cup sugar in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until sugar dissolves.
- Transfer to a stand mixer. Whip on high until a stiff, glossy, cool meringue forms (6-8 min).
- Beat in almond extract. On medium, add 3 sticks of room-temp butter, piece by piece. Keep beating until smooth.
- Assemble: Simmer honey and 2 tbsp water.
- Place one cake layer on a platter. Brush with half the honey syrup. Spread the apple butter on top.
- Top with the second cake layer. Brush with the remaining honey syrup.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake with the almond buttercream. Press toasted almonds onto the outside.
Notes
- All ingredients for the cake and frosting should be at room temperature for the best results.
- If the buttercream curdles or looks soupy, just keep beating! It will come together.
- The cake must be 100% cool before frosting.
- Store the finished cake in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature.
