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.
