A delightfully sweet Honey Lemon Cake with a tender crumb topped in a delicious glaze. Make into adorable beehive cakes or in a muffin tin!
There are three kinds of people – those who love cake, those who love icing and those who will eat anything sweet are equal opportunity dessert eaters who will consume it all with no regrets. Can you guess which I am?
If I have a pile of icing on my cupcake, I will devour it in a heartbeat, but that’s also how I had to become a calorie counter.
Now when I go for something sweet I take a couple hints from my Grandma – everything in moderation and a little drizzle of glaze never hurt anyone. This honey lemon cake is the perfect duo – a hint of something sweet, but not too much!
These little beehive cakes are so simple to make from a darling little tin. The sweet lemon glaze looks like honey overflowing.
One of my Grandma’s favorite desserts to make (aside from pie, she always had 10 in the freezer “just in case”) was angel food cake. I always enjoyed it – simple, sweet, and topped with a beautiful lemon glaze.
Angel food cake is beautiful, right out of the bundt pan and it takes absolutely no effort to drizzle it with glaze.
Like most of my recipes, it’s quick and easy and made with staple ingredients, perfect for spring and summer!
Table of Contents
Honey Lemon Cake Ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference, softened.
- Sugar – White granulated.
- Honey – The key ingredient in this amazing cake.
- Flour – All purpose.
- Baking Powder – The leavening agent.
- Salt – Brings out all the other flavors in baked goods.
- Eggs – The binding ingredient.
Lemon Glaze
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
- Powdered Sugar – It’s superfine in texture which lends itself well to glaze. If you don’t have any on hand, you can pulse granulated sugar in a food processor until fine. (Also known as confectioner’s sugar.)
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed or store bought in produce section.
How to Make Honey Lemon Cake
- Prep – Preheat oven and grease tin or pan.
- Make Batter – In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and honey. Add eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually incorporate dry into the wet mixture until just combined.
- Bake – Fill beehive or muffin tins 3/4 full and bake. They’re done when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Make the Glaze – Combine butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice. Pour over cooled cakes.
Tips
- Beating Butter – Beat in the sugar until it’s light and fluffy. The fat (butter) and sugar hold air bubbles to create a fine texture and leaven the cake.
- Bake Time – Time can vary from oven to oven, so use the toothpick test to determine the optimal baking time for your oven.
- Baking Pan – This honey lemon cake is just as simple and beautiful, without any additional effort. I used a beehive cakelet pan, but any muffin tin will do, too!
To Store
- Room Temperature – To prevent it from drying out, store (cooled) in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – Wrap with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Freeze – Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to prevent any freezer odor from seeping in. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
In addition to this honey lemon cake, you’ll also enjoy my 2 ingredient honey lemonade recipe – it’s so refreshing!
You can see more of this table setting here.
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Honey Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cup flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Lemon Glaze
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease tin and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and honey. Add eggs.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
- Gradually fold into in to wet mixture.
- Fill tins 3/4 full and bake 17 minutes.
- Cool 15 minutes. Invert onto plates.
Lemon Glaze
- In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
Notes
Substitutions
- Butter – Salted or unsalted.
- Powdered Sugar – If you don’t have any on hand, you can pulse granulated sugar in a food processor until fine.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed or store bought in produce section.
Tips
- Beat in the sugar until it’s light and fluffy. The fat (butter) and sugar hold air bubbles to create a fine texture and leaven the cake.
- Bake time can vary from oven to oven, so use the toothpick test to determine the optimal baking time for your oven.
To Store
- Room Temperature – To prevent it from drying out, store (cooled) in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – Wrap with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Freeze – Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to prevent any freezer odor from seeping in. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
Nutrition
*recipe adapted from Nordicware
The cake pan I’m baking in is a 6”x2”. Would you recommend baking it at the same temp and for the same time as the beehives? I just want to get this right 😊
Yes – same temperature just adjust bake time. Enjoy!
I was also planning on making cupcakes from this recipe 🙂
Enjoy!
I’m planning on making this recipe as a tiered cake cut into the shape of a beehive for my son’s 1st birthday this weekend. Are there any changes to the recipe or bake time I should consider before attempting it? Thank you!
The beehives are just slightly larger than cupcakes. Reduce bake time a few minutes and insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, they’re ready!
Great recipe. I made it in a loaf pan. Absolutely delicious, everyone loved it. Thanks so much for sharing
Thank you, Joanna! Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m wanting to do this in a 8” pan. Would I have to double the recipe if I wanted 2-3 layers? Also what should the internal temperature be?
It fills a muffin tin – I would double to create 3 layers. Use the toothpick test to ensure it’s done. Enjoy!
This is such an amazing recipe! My cupcake my moist and fluffy and oh so delecious! But they did not rise much, any idea why?
Hmmm! There are typically 3 reasons it won’t rise:
Stale baking powder is often the cause.
Another common issue is when batter isn’t baked immediately as it loses it’s bubbles.
Overmixing…when you add dry mixture into the wet, blend until just combined.
Nevertheless, I’m glad you enjoyed them, but sorry they didn’t meet your expectation. Thank you for sharing!
What about a pretty bundt pan, or a tube? The small ones you used are not available now, which makes me really sad ~ it’s so cute! I didn’t check to see how many little cakes the recipe makes, so I didn’t know if there’s enough batter/a full recipe … Thanks! This looks great, and now I’m off to see the lemon glaze!
Either works beautifully! You can double the recipe for a large binder. Sorry to hear they’re no longer available! You can also use any cupcake or mini Bundts pans.
Could I just bake this in a 9″ round cake pan? Or possibly 2?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Hi Julie, it’s Cheryl, I was looking for the Lemon Glaze receipe but couldn’t access it, can you help. P.S. I ordered some napkins, looking forward to using them !
Sorry! I’ll try to connect the recipes better. Hope you enjoy those napkins as much as I do!
I love sweets, especially lemon sweets!
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Thanks so much!!!
No problem! Have a beautiful weekend!
Hi Julie,
I love the tablecloth and placemat. Beautiful pictures!!! Where can I can purchase those?
Thanks,
Indiana
Thank you! The white table cloth? It’s been discontinued, but you can find the place mats at Kohl’s. Enjoy!
Can you just come to my house and bake for me!? I know I say this everytime, but everything you post always looks so yummy! I only wish it would turn out that way for me!
You are so sweet! I’m sure you’re selling yourself short…this recipe couldn’t be easier. Enjoy!
Hi Julie,
The cake looks delicious. I love the table cloth and placemat. Where can I shop for those? Everything looks beautiful. Thanks.