Honey Bun Cake
Have you ever had honey bun cake? It's a delicious cake with a sweet and nutty filling, then it's topped off with creamy frosting. It's fun to bake, and share with friends and family!
Honey Bun Cake
Honey Bun Cake is easy to make any day of the week and just perfect for gatherings, special occasions, or as a sweet treat after dinner.
It's a blend of sweet honey flavors, a hint of cinnamon, and a soft, moist cake.
You'll love how it combines simple ingredients for a delicious dessert that looks as good as it tastes.
Whether served warm to welcome a special guest or enjoyed as a delightful end to a family meal, Honey Bun Cake promises to be a memorable addition to your dessert table.
Ingredients for Honey Bun Cake
Golden butter cake mix (or yellow cake mix): A golden butter cake mix will impart a richer buttery flavor, while a yellow cake mix provides a classic flavor.
Butter: Take your butter out of the fridge about a half an hour to an hour before baking so it will soften.
Eggs: When you take your butter out, make sure to take your eggs out of the fridge as well so they are room temperature when using them.
Sour cream: Make sure it's at room temperature to blend well with the batter.
Brown sugar
Pecans: Chopped pecans add a nutty texture and flavor.
Ground Cinnamon
Powdered sugar: Sifted powdered sugar will help make a smooth glaze.
Heavy cream: Adjust the quantity to get the desired glaze consistency. Starting with less allows you to find the perfect balance for a drizzle-able consistency without it being too runny.
How to Make Honey Bun Cake
Prep
Pre-heat your to 350F. Also make sure to grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Remove ½ cup of the cake mix and set aside for later.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the rest of the cake mix, butter, eggs, and sour cream until it's nice and smooth.
Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
Next, in a small bowl mix the ½ cup of cake mix you set aside earlier with the brown sugar, pecans, and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Sprinkle this sweet mix over the cake batter in your dish.
After that, put dollops of the remaining cake batter over the sweet pecan layer.
Use a spatula to gently spread it out so the pecan layer is completely covered.
Put your cake in the pre-heated oven and let it bake for 40 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the frosting by mixing a teaspoon of cinnamon, powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream together in a bowl until it's nice and smooth.
If it's too thick, just add a bit more cream. Once the cake is baked and slightly cooled, spread this frosting all over the top.
You can cut the cake into pieces and serve it either slightly warm or at room temperature. It’s going to taste delicious either way!
Tips & Tricks to Make the Best Honey Bun Cake
Here are some tips and tricks to hopefully help make this a bit easier to make.
Butter Softening Hack: Forget to soften your butter? Cut it into small pieces and let it sit out for about 15 minutes. It’ll soften up quicker this way.
Easy Grease: Use a baking spray with flour in it to grease your pan. This helps the cake come out easily after baking. You can also use the butter wrapper from the butter you used in the recipe to grease the pan.
Nut Choices: No pecans? No problem! You can use walnuts or almonds instead.
Frosting Trick: If your frosting is too thick, adding milk a teaspoon at a time can help you get the perfect consistency without making it too runny.
Add a Crunch: You can sprinkle some crushed pecans on top of the frosting before it sets.
Remember, making a cake is all about having fun and adding your own special touch. Enjoy your baking!
How to Store Leftovers
If you make a honey bun cake and have some left over, here's what you can do to keep it for later.
After the cake has cooled down, put it in an airtight container. This is just a box that snaps shut so no air can get in. You can also wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
If you're going to eat it soon, within a couple days, you can keep it on the counter or in a cupboard. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a week.
What to Serve with Honey Bun Cake
- Vanilla Ice Cream: A scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream on top.
- Fresh Berries
- Whipped Cream
- Coffee
- Nutty Caramel Sauce: Drizzle a warm, nutty caramel sauce over the cake.
- Cinnamon-Spiced Apples: Gently sautéed apples with cinnamon on top
- Cold Milk
Honey Bun Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box golden butter cake mix or yellow cake mix
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- Reserve ½ cup of the dry cake mix; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the remaining cake mix, butter, eggs, and sour cream, mixing just until smooth.
- Spread half of the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the ½ cup reserved cake mix, brown sugar, pecans, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture all over the cake batter in the baking dish.
- Dollop the remaining cake batter all over the pecan filling and use a spatula to gently spread until the filling is covered by the cake batter.
- Bake the cake at 350F for 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream, mixing until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of cream. Spread the frosting over top of the cake.
- Cut the cake and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Please note that the nutritional content of this recipe will vary based on the specific ingredients used. For a detailed breakdown of the nutritional values, consider using a recipe nutrition calculator with the exact brands and measurements you've used.
