Honey Cakelets with Cream Cheese Frosting
Sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, these cute individual cakelets are perfect when you’re entertaining—just set them out on the buffet table and let everyone help themselves. If you’re lucky enough to find honeycomb at the market, cut it into small pieces, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) square, and use a piece to garnish each of the finished cakes, omitting the drizzle of honey at the end.
Ingredients:
For the cakelets:
- 1 3/4 cups (9 oz./280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (6 oz./185 g) wildflower honey, plus more for drizzling
- 3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) fresh orange juice
- 2/3 cup (5 fl. oz./160 ml) hot water
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 oz. (250 g) cold cream cheese, cut into small pieces
- 3 1/2 cups (14 oz./440 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tbs. wildflower honey
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Directions:
To make the cakelets, preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then generously spray the parchment and the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, honey, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and orange juice until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the vegetable oil mixture to the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium and beat until just combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, slowly pour in the hot water, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: In the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, add the cream cheese a few pieces at a time and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar in two additions, beating after each addition until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high, add the honey, vanilla and salt and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (12-mm) round tip and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To assemble the cakelets, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2-inch (5-cm) biscuit cutter, cut out 32 cake rounds; if desired, reserve the crumbs for garnish. Lay half of the cake rounds, top side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Pipe about 1 Tbs. frosting on each, then top with the remaining cake rounds, top side up, pressing down slightly to adhere the cake to the frosting. Pipe a heaping 1 Tbs. frosting on top of each cake. If desired, sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the cakes and drizzle very lightly with honey. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to overnight. If the cakes are refrigerated, let them come to room temperature before serving. Makes 16 cakelets; serves 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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