Spiced Honey Chocolate Cake

Every once in a while I get nostalgic and crave sweets my grandma would bake when I was younger and one of my favorites was this honey cake spiced with all-spice.

It has the softest cake layers and a delicious light and fluffy chocolate cream. I knew it was the perfect cake to share with you when I partnered with my friends at Nature Nate’s and Endangered Species Chocolate! 

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions: 

• Flour: I used all-purpose flour but cake flour also works well. I highly recommend a digital scale to measure your flour to avoid over measuring.
• Spices: I used all-spice and a touch of cinnamon. The cinnamon isn’t necessary but I think it compliments the all-spice well. 
• Honey: You need a good quality honey, so I used my favorite honey ever – Nature Nate’s 100 Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey. It is rich in flavor and gives the cake just the right amount of sweetness.
• Oil: I used vegetable oil but you can also use sunflower or canola oil.
• Heavy Cream: I use 36% heavy cream for the diplomat cream. This can be replaced by an 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip (skip the powdered sugar and gelatin too).

Let’s Talk Details

1. Sponge Cake – a lightly spiced sponge cake made with caramelized Nature Nate’s Honey Co, that’s baked in a sheet pan and sliced into three equal parts to stack
2. Chocolate Cream – a diplomat cream made with Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate.
3. Chocolate Drizzle – made with Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate and toasted almond topping

Honey Spice Cake 

Spiced honey cake is like a cross between my Honey Lemon Cake and Pumpkin Roll .

1. Whisk your dry ingredients together.
2. Whip the eggs with the sugar until they are thick and fluffy.
3. Cook the honey until it bubbles, then add baking soda, whisking while it bubbles for about a minute.
4. Pour the honey and oil into the beating egg mixture, mixing until it’s fully combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they’re fully combined.
6. Bake it in a sheet pan for about 18 minutes.
7. After it cools, cut it into three parts, the short way, so you have three even layers.

Chocolate Diplomat Cream 

The second part of this spiced honey chocolate cake is the chocolate diplomat cream. I used  Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate  for two reasons – the oat milk gives the chocolate an extra creamy texture and a delicious, unique flavor. 

I used gelatin to make the diplomat cream because I wanted to make sure it was extra sturdy and would hold up on the sides of the cake too. I have also made it without the gelatin and since the melted chocolate hardens at room temperature, it does stabilize the cream enough but it is slightly more difficult and unpredictable without the gelatin. 

If you want a darker chocolate flavor in the cream, you can certainly double the amount of Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate and/or you can add ¼-½ (20g-40g) cup of cocoa powder.

Chocolate Drizzle 

I made a delicious chocolate drizzle with Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate to drizzle over the cake.

1. Microwave the chocolate, oil, and cream, 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is completely smooth.
2. Allow to cool just until it’s not warm but still runny. Drizzle over chilled cake.

Can I bake spiced honey chocolate cake in different pans?

Yes you can! You can also make a 3 layered 8 inch cake, round or square. Just separate the batter into 3 equal parts and bake.

You’ll want to use visual cues as a sign of doneness. I would start with 12 minutes and just check to see when it no longer looks wet, press on the center gently and if it springs back it’s done. 

Serving & Storing 

This cake is best served slightly chilled and should be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. It’s best to cover the cake with plastic wrap or a cake dome to keep it from drying out. 

You can also freeze it for 2-3 months:

• If freezing the cake whole, wrap it in plastic wrap twice and freeze. 
• If freezing individual slices, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag and squeeze out all the excess air. 

Please note, the cream can potentially separate after it thaws. When you are ready to serve, allow the cake to defrost in the fridge overnight.

Thanks so much for reading today’s post! If you have any questions just comment down below, I’m happy to answer.

If you love this cake, I would love it if you left a 5-star rating or a review for me below 🙂

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Recipes

Layer Cakes

Spiced Honey Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

prep 40 minutes mins

cook 18 minutes mins

Additional Time 3 hours hrs

total 3 hours hrs 58 minutes mins

Serves 12 slices

Spiced Honey Chocolate Cake is three layers of spiced honey cake frosted with chocolate diplomat cream, and drizzled with chocolate.

Author: Bernice Baran

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Servings 12 slices

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Metric(US) Imperial

Ingredients

Spiced Honey Cake

• ▢ 90 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp all-spice
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1/8 tsp salt
• ▢ 5 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 100 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 112 grams Nature Nate’s 100 Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey
• ▢ 1/4 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 60 mL canola oil, or any neutral oil

Chocolate Diplomat Cream

• ▢ 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• ▢ 50 grams granulated sugar, separated
• ▢ 113 grams unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 170 grams Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate
• ▢ 1 tsp gelatin
• ▢ 1 Tbsp cold water
• ▢ 30 grams powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 480 mL heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzle

• ▢ 85 grams Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate
• ▢ 30 mL canola oil, or any neutral oil
• ▢ 30 mL heavy whipping cream
• ▢ Slivered almonds for topping

Method

Chocolate Diplomat Cream

1. Begin by making the custard portion for the diplomat cream so it has time to cool.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk continuously for about 5 minutes.
   3 large egg yolks room temperature, 50 grams granulated sugar separated, 113 grams unsalted butter softened
3. The mixture will look chunky before it melts. After it melts, continue cooking until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and resembles lemon curd.
4. Remove it from the heat, pour it into a heat safe container and cover it with a lid. Set it aside to cool completely to room temperature.

Spiced Honey Cake

1. Generously grease and line a 12”x19” sheet pan with baking spray and parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, all-spice, cinnamon and salt until they’re evenly distributed.
   90 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1 1/2 tsp all-spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp salt
3. Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment and begin beating at medium speed.
   5 large eggs room temperature
4. Once the eggs look frothy, slowly stream in the sugar. Increase to full speed and beat them together until they’re thick and fluffy, about five minutes.
   100 grams granulated sugar
5. Place the honey in a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, and bring it to a simmer while swirling intermittently. Cook for about 3 minutes, until it begins to bubble all around.
   112 grams Nature Nate’s 100 Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey
6. Remove it from the heat and then add the baking soda to the hot honey and whisk continuously while it’s bubbling.
   1/4 tsp baking soda
7. Turn the mixer to medium speed and slowly pour in the honey, immediately followed by the oil.
   60 mL canola oil or any neutral oil
8. Add the dry ingredients, one tablespoon at a time and mix just until it’s incorporated, scraping the edge of the bowl as needed.
9. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 18 minutes, until it’s browned and releases itself from the edge of the pan or springs back when you gently press on the center.

Finish Chocolate Diplomat Cream

1. In a medium bowl, microwave the chocolate for 20 seconds, stir it and repeat until the chocolate is smooth. Set it aside to cool to room temperature (don't let it harden though).
   170 grams Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate
2. Mix the gelatin with water and allow it to bloom.
   1 tsp gelatin , 1 Tbsp cold water
3. Place the powdered sugar, and just a couple Tbsp of the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat them at medium speed until they’re well combined.
   30 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, 480 mL heavy whipping cream
4. Then slowly keep pouring the cream in until the mixture thins out a bit. Once all the cream is added, beat at full speed just until soft peaks form.
5. Microwave the gelatin it for 5 seconds, until it's liquid. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed, pour in the gelatin and beat until stiff peaks form and the whipped cream looks smooth.
6. Add the cooled custard to the bowl of whipped cream and beat them at medium-high speed just until they're smooth. Then add the cooled, melted chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until it's fully combined.
   1 tsp vanilla extract
7. Assemble immediately, do not refrigerate the cream before assembling or the gelatin will set and the cream will no longer be smooth.

Assemble

1. Once your honey cake has cooled, slice it into three’s from long end to long end so you have three short sections. You can refer to the photos or measure each section to be about 12”x6” now.
2. Place the first layer of cake onto a flat surface and top with 1/4 of the cream. Repeat with the second layer and then top with the third. Use the rest of the diplomat cream to frost the top and sides of the cake.
3. It can be quite difficult to get a smooth look with this cream and the shape of the cake so embrace the rustic vibes.
4. Refrigerate the cake while you make the chocolate topping.

Chocolate Drizzle

1. Place the Oatmilk chocolate in a small bowl with the oil and the cream. Microwave on 20 second bursts, 2-3 times, stirring between each interval, until it’s completely smooth.
   85 grams Endangered Species Oat Milk Dark Chocolate, 30 mL canola oil or any neutral oil, 30 mL heavy whipping cream
2. Pour the Chocolate into a piping bag fit with a small round tip and drizzle it back and forth diagonally, both ways. Top with slivered almonds, toffee chunks or if you’re feeling adventurous some honeycomb!
   Slivered almonds for topping
3. Cake can be served immediately but it’s best to let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 7gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 113mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28g

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Hungarian

Keyword: chocolate cream, chocolate diplomat cream, chocolate ganache, honey cake, honey spice cake, hungarian cake, hungarian honey cake, spice cake

This post was sponsored by Nature Nate’s Honey Co and Endangered Species Chocolate, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that support Baran Bakery!