This easy and wholesome honey cake recipe features fluffy sponge cake layers, fresh raspberries, and the most delicious sour cream-whipped filling! Honey cakes are popular Eastern European desserts, and this moist raspberry cake will surely please everyone!
This cake is not as complicated as the thinner honey cake Medovik! In fact, it’s very similar to my Honey Cake Roll in taste, but with a cream cheese frosting.
Whole Wheat Raspberry Honey Cake Recipe
Honey in cake not only works as a sweetener but also gives this cake a distinctive taste and, once baked, infuses a rich toffee-like flavor! I love the tangy sour cream frosting! It’s not too sweet and absorbs into the honey cake to make the softest sponge layers.
In short, this is one of the softest and luscious cakes I’ve tried in a long time!
My friend recently came over for a playdate and always brings something along. This Raspberry honey cake recipe was one of her creations, and everyone raved about how good it was! I was amazed at how delicious it tasted!
She happily shared the recipe for this raspberry tea cake (Ukrainians love dessert or cake with hot tea after every meal). So, I made it a couple of times since.
I’ve found that frosting this honey cake, with only the sour cream frosting, seeped far into the cake layers, making the sponge layers poke through the frosting. It was still delicious this way but not the most appealing.
However, adding the cream cheese frosting glues the cake together because of its firm and thick texture. Don’t get me wrong; the sour cream filling is just as needed for soaking purposes but not ideal for the outside.
As a busy mom, decoration is not my strongest skill, so I love how simple the decorating part is with this raspberry honey cake. The raspberry cake still looks put together, but it wasn’t tedious. You will love this simple honey cake recipe! It makes a great dessert for any occasion. As far as taste profile, it’s in my top five cakes to bake!
Wholesome Golden Honey Cake
I switched to using freshly milled flour (whole grains) in my baking. The original recipe called for 2 cups of all-purpose white flour; however, anyone can make this cake with either flour.
Interestingly, the sponge layers were much lighter and fluffier with freshly milled, soft wheat, and that’s coming from someone who does not sift out the bran or germ of the wheat kernel. You only need a grain mill and soft white wheat berries to make freshly milled pastry flour. I have been converting most of my recipes using this conversion chart, and my baked goods always turn out great!
It is really not that complicated to use whole grains. My tip for incorporating whole grains is to have a milling station where the grain mill and grains are at your fingertips for convenience. I talk more about it in my Milling Station Video if you want to make fresh ground flour more often for health benefits.
Ukrainian Honey Cake Ingredients:
This Medovyk cake is a spongy honey layer cake. You could use part buckwheat for the soft wheat for an earthier taste, but soft wheat is as close to all-purpose flour in taste.
- Sponge cake layers: for the fluffy sponge layers, you will need six eggs (cold or at room temperature), organic cane sugar, freshly ground whole wheat flour, raw honey, and baking soda.
- Sour Cream Filling: This is made of four cups of thick sour cream (smetana). Daisy brand is my favorite. You will also need powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream.
- Outside Cream Cheese Frosting: This works like glue to keep all the cake layers in place because the sour cream filling is runnier. The layers tend to slide, and the runnier sour cream filling soaks into the layers to make a moist cake. You will need a package of room-temperature cream cheese, half a container of Cool Whip, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
- Syrup: My friend uses evaporated milk as a quick syrup to soak the layers. If you are serving the same day, it is handy to soak the layers with heavy cream or evaporated milk so the cake is moist when serving. If you have a few days, you can omit the syrup and allow the sour cream filling to soak the layers.
- Fresh Raspberries: I used two 6oz containers of fresh raspberries, one for the filling and one for the top decoration.
How To Make Honey Cake From Scratch:
These honey cake layers are so easy to make! I use two round 9-inch cake pans to make the sponge layers and this cake collar when frosting to keep all the layers intact. My wooden cake stand is from Target.
- Start whipping your sponge cake layers. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the eggs and sugar and whip over high speed for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grease and flour your cake pans. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a small saucepan, heat the honey until hot (not boiling) over medium-high heat, and whisk in the baking soda for 30-45 seconds until it turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and drop one tablespoon at a time into the beaten eggs until all is incorporated. I have my mixer running as I drop the honey mixture from the side, but be careful not to touch the whisk beater with your spoon when mixing.
- Turn off the mixer and add your whole wheat flour. Using the whisk attachment, stir the flour, moving clockwise until all the flour is incorporated. Divide the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-45 minutes until done. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
- To make the raspberry cake filling, make the cream filling by whisking together the sour cream and powdered sugar. In a separate bowl beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat it into the sour cream mixture.
- Assemble the cake by cutting each layer in half to make a 4-layer cake. Place the first layer onto a cake stand. Brush with 3 tbsp of evaporated milk. Wrap it with the cake collar, then top with 1/4 of the sour cream filling, and dollop with 1 oz of fresh raspberries. The plastic cake collar will keep all the runny filling inside and help prevent the cake from sliding. Repeat twice, ending with the top layer. Brush with syrup and apply a thin layer of the cream filling on the top. Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for 6 hours, then refrigerate overnight. This makes a super moist cake.
- The next day, beat together the cream cheese frosting. Remove the cake layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. Place 6oz of raspberries in the middle and dust with powdered sugar. Serve right away or keep refrigerated until needed.
Baking Tips for Making Whole Wheat Honey Cake:
- Weigh your whole grains first using a kitchen scale and then run them through a grain mill. This will give you accurate results and will eliminate the guess work in how much flour to use.
- Use a cake collar to keep the layers intact. It helps keep all the sour cream filling in without sliding or oozing out.
- There are so many flavor variations in a honey cake recipe. Substitute nuts, raisins, dried prunes, berry sauce, or dulce de leche (caramel) for the raspberries.
- Don’t overbake the sponge layers. They will turn dark brown when baking, but don’t let it go further than that. The cake is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
- Don’t have whole wheat flour? You can easily substitute 2 cups of all-purpose flour.
- Feel free to experiment with a butter cream frosting or custard cream filling. This is a good basic honey cake recipe.
Q&A
How To Store Raspberry Honey Cake?
After assembling I will let this honey raspberry cake sit on my counter for about six hours so that the sour cream can moisten up the cake layers. It is normal to see the cream filling seep into the cake layers. Then I will refridgerate the cake overnight. The next day, remove the cake collar and finish frosting the outside of the cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve.
The assembled cake can be refridgerated up to 4 days. Keep the cake covered in plastic wrap or in a plastic cake container so it doesn’t pick up fridge odors.
Can You Freeze This Honey Whole Wheat Cake Using Fresh Raspberries?
Yes! My friend freezes this honey raspberry cake after filling it so that she can finish frosting it, and it tastes just as good.
Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions:
Whole Wheat Raspberry Honey Cake
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- grain mill
Ingredients
Sponge Cake Layers:
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tsp baking soda
Sour Cream Filling:
- 4 cups sour cream (32 oz)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Outside Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz Cool Whip (half a container of a standard pack)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Syrup (optional) and Topping:
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 12 oz fresh raspberries
Instructions
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two round 9-inch cake pans and set aside.- Make the sponge cake layers: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat over high speed for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until hot (not boiling). Whisk in the baking soda and cook for 30-45 seconds until golden brown. Remove from the heat and carefully add a tablespoon at a time to the eggs while they are being whipped in the mixer.
- Turn off the mixer and add the freshly milled wheat flour. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the flour in one direction until fully incorporated.
- Divide the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-45 minutes until done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- To Make the Sour Cream Filling, beat the heavy cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. In a large separate bowl, whisk the sour cream and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the cream mixture and set aside.
- Assemble the cake: slice each cake layer in half, crosswise. Place one layer onto a cake stand and wrap it with the cake collar. Brush with 3 Tbsp of evaporated milk, a third of the sour cream filling, and about 2 oz of fresh raspberries. Repeat twice, ending with the last cake layer.
- Brush the top cake layer with 3-4 Tbsp of evaporated milk, and the remainder of the sour cream filling (it should be a thin layer). Allow it to sit, and soak up the cream for 6 hours at room temperature. Then refrigerate overnight.
- The next day*, beat together the cream cheese frosting. Remove the cake collar and finish frosting the sides and top.
- Place a heaping pile of fresh raspberries (6oz) in the middle and dust the berries with powdered sugar. Serve.
Notes
- *Soft wheat berries should be weighed and then run through a grain mill. You could also weigh the flour after it has been milled. The weight stays the same.
- *You could refridgerate the cake in the cake collar for up to 2 days before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.
- Can substitute 2 cups of all-purpose flour for the whole wheat flour.
- You can freeze the sponge cake layers for up to 2 months. Wrap it in a plastic wrap, then in a piece of foil, and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and proceed with assembling.
- The evaporated milk is optional. It helps soak the cake layers faster and can be substituted with heavy cream. If you are making this cake ahead of time, you can solely count on the sour cream filling to do the soaking.
Nutrition per serving
