Honey Date Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This honey date cake with cream cheese frosting is a showstopper of note. It’s the perfect celebration cake for winter, Easter, or even Christmas. The tender sponge is lightly flavoured with cinnamon, all-spice, and vanilla and is nestled under a blanket of my ultimate cream cheese buttercream frosting. I vigorously whipped this to ensure the dreamiest soft texture with enough of it to generously frost the middle, sides, and top.

I made this three-layered cake using products from Peel’s, South Africa’s oldest honey brand, established in 1924. I used their single nectar Acacia honey from Thabazimbi, which is raw, 100% pure, and adds beautiful fruity notes. I finished the cake with Peel’s salted caramel drizzle and honeycomb rocks. Supporting a local producer who places bee welfare at the forefront and works with small to medium beekeepers around the country is important to me. Shop Peel’s products

FAQ Section for Honey Date Cake Post

Frequently Asked Questions About Honey Date Cake

Why use honey in date cake? Honey adds a floral sweetness that complements the natural caramel flavour of dates beautifully. Additionally, honey keeps the cake incredibly moist and adds complexity to the flavour profile.

Can I use a different type of honey? Yes. Any quality honey works well in this recipe. Single nectar honeys like Acacia, Fynbos, or Macadamia add unique flavour notes. However, standard clear honey produces excellent results too.

How do you soak dates for cake? Place pitted dates in a bowl with honey, bicarbonate of soda, and boiling water. Allow them to soak for approximately 20 minutes until very soft. This makes them easy to blend into a smooth purée.

Can I make this date cake in advance? Yes. The cake actually improves after a day as the flavours develop. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Refrigerate in warm climates.

Can I freeze date cake? Absolutely. Freeze unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in cling film for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting and serving.

What can I use instead of Muscovado sugar? Dark brown sugar makes an excellent substitute for Muscovado sugar. Light brown sugar works too, though the flavour will be slightly less rich.

Why is my date cake dense? Over-mixing the batter after adding flour can result in a dense cake. Mix briefly until just combined for the lightest texture.

Can I make this as a two-layer cake instead? Yes. Simply divide the batter between 2 x 22 to 23 centimetre tins instead of three smaller tins. The baking time remains the same.

Tips for making spiced date cake with cream cheese and honey frosting

I made this into a 3-layer cake using 3 x 18cm cake tins. You could easily make this into a 2-layer cake using 2 x 22cm – 23cm cake tins. See notes in the instructions on how to ensure the layers are perfectly even. The cake can be made in advance but add the honeycomb rocks just before serving.

This cake is a one-bowl wonder that blends together effortlessly in a food processor. 

For a deeper, more complex flavour, try my best spiced date cake and maple cream cheese frosting, which uses coffee-soaked dates.

You may also enjoy my best cake recipes from Drizzleanddip

Spiced date cake with cream cheese & honey frosting

A delicious spiced date cake with cream cheese & honey frosting recipe that will guarantee to impress everyone.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:45 minutes mins

Ingredients

Cake:

• 400 grams pitted dates
• 40 grams Peel’s honey
• 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda baking soda
• 300 ml boiling water
• 200 grams Muscovado sugar
• 200 grams salted butter room temperature
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 375 grams self-raising flour
• Peel’s salted honey caramel for the dripping layer optional
• Peel’s Honeycomb Rock for the top decoration optional

Cream cheese and honey buttercream frosting:

• 150 gms butter
• 100 gms Muscovado sugar
• 60 ml / ¼ cup Peel’s honey
• 125 gm icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 grams Cream cheese

Instructions

• To Make the cake preheat your oven to 160C / 325F and line 3 x 18cm or 2 x 20cm cake tins with baking paper.
• Soak the pitted dates for about 20 minutes in a bowl with the Peel’s honey, the bicarbonate of soda, and the boiling water.
• Blend this in a food processor until fairly smooth, then add the sugar, butter, spices, vanilla extract, and eggs and process until well incorporated.
• Add the self-raising flour and mix briefly until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and the blades. If you are wanting to be totally accurate with dividing the batter between 3 cake tins, decant the batter into a bowl and weigh this. Divide this weight into 3 and then evenly portion off the cake batter per tin. Alternatively, simply divide the batter into two 20 – 23cm tins.
• Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until the cakes have risen and are springy to the touch and when a knife is inserted into the middle it comes out clean.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes and then remove and place them on a cooling rack.
• To make the icing, use an electric mixer and cream the butter, Muscovado sugar, and honey together. Whip for about 3-4 minutes until pale and becoming fluffy. The sugar should be mostly dissolved. Then add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk for a further 5 minutes or so. By now the sugar should have dissolved. Add the cream cheese and whip for a further minute or two until well combined and very fluffy.
• Ice the cake with a generous layer of frosting between the 3 layers and on the top and sides. If your freezer is big enough, put the cake in the freezer for a bit so that the icing firms up. Heat the Peel’s salted honey caramel in the microwave for about 20 seconds until it is soft enough to drip. Gently drizzle this over the top of the cake allowing some to spill over the edge. Allow time as this will drip on its own. Add a little extra to the drip ‘channels’ should you need to.
• Decorate with Peel’s honeycomb rocks just before you serve. These will soften once left out for too long so do this at the last minute.  

Notes

Store any leftover cake in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

If the climate is very warm you can store it in the fridge.

Servings: 12

Author: Sam Linsell

For more honey recipes:

Easy honey nut granola

Lemon pistachio cupcakes with honey meringue frosting

Spicy honey and Rooibos granita gin & tonic

Crispy pan-fried feta with thyme and black pepper-infused honey

Honey, rosewater & cinnamon panna cotta

Pear & halva crumble loaf with pecans, honey & maple

Roast fig tartines with blue cheese, prosciutto and honey

Baked goats cheeses cigars with honey & thyme

Crispy noodle slaw with a soy, honey & ginger dressing

Pizza Bianco with prosciutto, nectarines, thyme & honey

Rooibos tea & honey ice cream

Vanilla ice cream with honey-roasted figs

Roast chicken with stout, rosemary & honey

Bacon-wrapped sausages with rosemary & honey

Pear tartines with blue cheese & honey

Dukkah baked pears with goat cheese & honey

Goat cheese truffles with honey & pistachio

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