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Home - Cake

Published: Aug 24, 2016 · Modified: Jun 20, 2023 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Honey Cake with Whipped Mascarpone and Figs

Jump to Recipe

This honey cake with whipped mascarpone and figs is a simple, yet exotic cake that is perfect for a weeknight treat with coffee, or during the weekend to share with friends. 

Cake being drizzled with honey

Why you'll love it

This is a simple, delicate single layer cake that is absolutely packed with flavor and is so easy to make. It doesn't make a ton of cake, so you don't have to worry about what to do with all the extra cake. Chances are, most of it will be gone after you've prepared it.

Unlike some other honey cake recipes, it isn't overly complicated or require any special skills or knowledge to create a delicious balance of floral honey flavor and a moist cake everyone will enjoy digging into.

It is the perfect opportunity to experiment with a variety of honey that you may be able to find, especially if you have any local beekeepers. This recipe was originally created with wildflower honey for its light floral notes, but orange blossom honey is another favorite here. Blueberry and clove honey varieties are also really delicious with this recipe.

figs in backet on antique scale

Key ingredients

Most of the ingredients in this cake are what you'd expect, this is a quick overview of some of the key ingredients you'll need. The full list and measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Sugar - The cake calls for some brown sugar. It helps to enhance the flavors of the honey and give it a deeper, nearly caramel undertone.
  • Honey - This is the main flavor component of the cake, so use a high quality honey, if you can. There are many varieties of honey available, so feel free to experiment with them and find your favorite honey flavor profile!
  • Buttermilk - In order to further tenderize and keep the cake nice and moist, buttermilk is added. You can also use sour cream or plain yogurt.
  • Orange - I like to add orange to this cake to add more depth and warmth, especially since there is also cinnamon in the cake. The orange plays very well with the honey.
  • Mascarpone - This particular cake is topped with whipped mascarpone. It gives a creamy, slightly tangy flavor that is amazing when drizzled with more honey. If you can't find any, you can use cream cheese instead.
  • Figs - The original recipe calls for figs as a topping, but you can also use any type of seasonal fruit, or nothing at all if you prefer a more simple cake.
Close up of toppings on cake

How to make

The beauty of this honey cake is how much more simple it is to make than most cakes.

  1. Grease and flour your baking pan.
  2. Beat together the wet ingredients until well-combined.
  3. Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
  4. Create a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients.
  5. Stir until combined, then pour into your baking pan.
  6. Bake in your preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs clinging to it.
  7. Top with your whipped mascarpone and fresh fruit!

Recipe FAQs

How do I store my honey cake?

Leaving the cake at room temperature in an airtight container is fine. If you plan on leaving the cake longer, I recommend holding off on the mascarpone topping and adding it on the individual slices as you serve.

Can I serve this cake without a topping?

This cake is delicious on its own, topped with powdered sugar, or drizzled with more honey. You can even add sliced almonds to the top of the batter before baking to add more flavor and texture to the cake.

close up of cake drizzled with honey

Have extra figs? Try my fig galette!

Recipe Card

A simple, yet exotic honey cake with whipped mascarpone and fresh figs

Honey Cake with Whipped Mascarpone and Figs

Amanda Powell
A simple, yet exotic honey cake with whipped mascarpone and fresh figs. The perfect end of summer dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Cake
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices
Calories 300 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • ⅓ cup brown sugar lightly packed
  • ½ cup honey plus more for drizzling
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • zest of one orange
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 5 oz mascarpone chilled
  • ½ cup heavy cream chilled
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ scant teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 5 - 6 fresh figs
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Grease and flour an 8" round baking pan (one that is about 3" high is best). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, honey, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and orange zest until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  • Create a well in the flour, then pour the wet ingredients. Mix until combined, but not over mixed. It is okay if there are a few lumps.
  • Pour into the baking pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • While the cake is cooling, whip the mascarpone. Add the heavy cream and extracts then beat until soft peaks form. Gently whisk in the powdered sugar.
  • Spread the whipped mascarpone onto the cooled cake. Slice the figs and place on top of the cake, then finish with a drizzling of honey.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 207mgPotassium: 167mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 433IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 1mg
Keyword figs, honey, mascarpone
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

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About Amanda Powell

Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

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Comments

  1. Alli says

    August 31, 2023 at 10:44 am

    I'm someone who usually doesn't make or eat dessert without chocolate. I found myself with some fresh figs, and since they pair well with honey (which my husband loves) I thought I'd try this cake. It was very easy to make, and it really does taste special. I wish I could post a picture - I quartered my figs, then fanned them out from the center like a flower, then drizzled honey back and forth over the whole thing. I'm no decorator but it really looked pretty. I'm saving this recipe for next fig season 🙂5 stars

    Reply
  2. Jan says

    March 28, 2023 at 5:59 pm

    Really want to make this for upcoming book discussion meeting. The book this month is about a fig tree. But it's April in Florida. Could I use fig jam or preserves?

    Reply
    • Amanda Powell says

      April 06, 2023 at 3:51 pm

      You could add it as a spread on top of the cake, but the flavor profile will be slightly different with cooked down figs instead of fresh (but still delicious, I'm sure!)

      Reply
  3. Maithili says

    February 04, 2021 at 2:32 am

    Hi. This is the most amazing cake on this planet. I just made it and it tastes amazing. I have a question though - so after whipping the mascarpone and adding the cream, my mixture split. Could you please explain why that is so and what mistake I made? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Amanda Powell says

      February 04, 2021 at 12:00 pm

      Oh thank you for your kind words! There could be two reasons for this. The first would be that the temperatures of the mascarpone and the cream were vastly different. They should both be room temperature. The second reason would be that it was overwhipped. When cream gets whipped too much, the fat and the liquid in the cream want to split (it is how we make butter!) and that can make it look like the whole mixture is splitting. More often, it is the second reason that creates the split, so I would suggest trying again at a slower speed or for a shorter period of time. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. Karen says

    August 31, 2018 at 11:09 am

    I love the simplicity and beauty of this cake! Oh figs, yes, let’s eat as many as we can!

    Reply
  5. Sabrina says

    September 11, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    This looks delicious, Amanda! So happy figs are in season 🙂

    Reply
  6. traci | Vanilla And Bean says

    August 26, 2016 at 10:45 am

    You've totally sucked me in with this cake, Amanda! Not only is it gorgeous, but local honey? figs? mascarpone?! All the things for a perfect cake! I've not baked with figs this season.. although I have some ideas, I can't seem to keep up with all the zucchini comin in from the CSA! So I've not played much with figs this year. No need though with your work here! Delicious work Amanda!

    Reply
  7. Akhila@Pepper Delight says

    August 25, 2016 at 7:26 pm

    This cake looks gorgeous, loved the idea of using figs. Beautiful photos 🙂

    Reply
  8. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    August 25, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    yum! this cake looks divine and the photos are incredible! perfect for the changing seasons right now too. Xx

    Reply
  9. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    August 25, 2016 at 4:24 pm

    Oh my goodness Amanda! This cake is just gorgeous! I love figs and am always sad at how quick the season seems to go! Well done!

    Reply
  10. Zainab says

    August 24, 2016 at 9:02 pm

    Oh how I love figs!! I don't find them very often at my market. These look amazing and what a perfect combo of flavors.

    Reply
4.50 from 22 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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Hey, I'm Amanda!

I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a cookbook author, food science nerd, world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese.

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