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Banana Honey Cake, Strawberry Filling With Honey Cream Cheese Frosting and Marzipan Bees

Nadine Mesch’s Grand Prize winning entry for Banana Honey Cake, Strawberry Filling with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting & Marzipan Bees in the Sue Bee® honey Sweet Eats Recipe Contest!


Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup Sue Bee® Honey
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour

Filling

  • 1 tablespoon Sue Bee® honey
  • 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pint strawberries

Frosting

  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup Sue Bee® honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Marzipan Bees (optional, but fun)

  • 1/4 cup marzipan
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • Black food color paste
  • Small paint brush
  • Crafting wire

Directions

Cake

  • Place the chopped walnuts in a heated medium-size skillet, cook, stirring frequently until the walnuts are nicely toasted.
  • Remove from pan, cool, set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • To make the beehive cake, grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan and an 8-inch metal mixing bowl. For a regular 2-layer cake, grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans.
  • Place the bananas in a large mixing bowl; mash them with a fork.
  • Add the melted butter, Sue Bee® honey and eggs; beat until well-combined.
  • Beat in yogurt and vanilla.
  • Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flours; beat until well-incorporated.
  • Using a spatula, stir in the toasted walnuts.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven, place on cooling racks.
  • When cool, invert the 8-inch round cake pan onto a cake platter.
  • Spread a thin coat of the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting over the top of the cake.
  • Top with the Strawberry Honey Filling.
  • Top with the remaining cake layer, and frost entire cake with the Honey Cream Cheese Frosting.
  • When all of the frosting is on the cake, swirl the frosting around the cake into a beehive pattern.
  • Decorate with marzipan bees.

Filling

  • In a food processor, place the Sue Bee® honey, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and half of the berries.
  • Process until the sauce is smooth.
  • Add the remaining strawberries and pulse until just chopped.

Frosting

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, Sue Bee® honey and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
  • Slowly beat in powdered sugar, and beat until frosting is a nice spreading consistency.

Marzipan Bees

  • Take a small piece of marzipan and roll it in the palms of your hands into a 1-inch log.
  • Paint the stripes of the bee by using the small paint brush and dipping it into the black food coloring.
  • Place the bees on wax paper; allow them to dry.
  • When dry to the touch insert two almond slices into the sides of the bee to make its wings.
  • Twist a bit of crafting wire and inset one end into the bottom of the bee and then insert the other end of the wire into the beehive cake.
Sue Bee Pro Recipe Tip: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey.
Sue Bee® Pro Recipe Tip: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey.

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