It’s our daughter’s birthday next weekend and she’s beyond excited to have her friends over for a proper little party. This year, I’ve decided to take on all the catering myself – and that includes party favours. I knew I wanted something homemade, thoughtful and a little bit magical. That’s when Mini Honey Cake came to mind. These dainty, three-layer cakes are just the right size and they tick all the boxes: pretty, flavourful and absolutely scrumptious.
Why Mini Honey Cake makes the perfect party gift
What I love most about these Mini Honey Cakes is that they feel like a treat made with love. Each one is made of three layers of soft honey biscuit, sandwiched with a tangy, slightly sweet cream cheese frosting, and topped off filling and topped off with fresh berries. Not only are they delicious, but they also look stunning – bright, colourful and festive. Just the thing to say thank you to everyone for coming to celebrate our little girl’s big day.
I’ve made a test batch ahead of the party and they turned out exactly how I imagined. The honey flavour really shines through without being too sweet, and the tanginess of the cream cheese balances it beautifully. These cakes are actually best served the next day, once the biscuits have had time to soak up the cream slightly and turn melt-in-the-mouth soft.
For the party batch, I plan to add a few fun birthday touches – perhaps some extra fruit, or even edible flowers to give them that wow factor. I’ll update this post with new pictures once the final version is ready, so keep an eye out!
Step-by-step: how to make Mini Honey Cake
Start with the biscuits – the heart of the Mini Honey Cake
Right, let’s begin with the biscuits. These are honey-based, so naturally, the start of the show here is the honey itself. A bit of sugar goes in too, but most of the sweetness comes from the honey, which gives these cakes their beautiful golden colour and warm flavour.
You’ll need: eggs, sugar, honey, butter, baking soda, cake flour (I prefer cake flour over plain flour for a softer and fluffier texture)
Making the honey biscuit dough
Strat by cracking the eggs into a large mixing bowl, adding sugar, and whisking until well combined.
Meanwhile, pop the honey and baking soda into a saucepan and place it over low-medium heat. Use a spatula to stir continuously – this part is vital because the honey can burn quickly if left unattended. After a minute or two, you’ll see the mixture start to foam and rise, and its colour will turn from golden to a lighter caramel. Keep stirring until it deepens – think rich toffee colour.
Take the saucpan off the heat and stir in the butter. The butter helps to cool it down a little and you’ll end up with a glossy, smooth honey caramel.
Slowly pour this warm mixture into the eggs and sugar, stirring constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. You want everything to come together into a smooth, toffee-coloured mixture.
Once that’s done, sift in the cake flour and stir until smooth.
The dough will be soft and slightly runny at this point, which is absolutely fine. Cover the bowl with cling film and pop it in the fridge for about an hour, or in the freezer for 20 minutes if you’re in a rush. You’ll notice it firms up and becomes much easier to handle.
Rolling and cutting the biscuits
Once your dough is chilled, sprinkle a clean surface with cake flour. Take a portion of the dough, dust it with a bit more flour, and knead lightly to soften. I roll mine out thin – around 2-3mm thickness.
Here’s a handy trick: instead of trying to move each shaped piece of dough onto a baking tray 9which can be fiddly), I roll the dough directly onto a baking sheet or silicone mat. That way, I don’t have to move them before baking. I use biscuit cutters in all sorts of shapes – round, square, heart, star, and flower.
For the heart shapes, I use a smaller cutter to press out a tiny heart from the centre. After baking, I use those little heart centres to decorate the finished cakes – super cute and keeps things waste-free.
Use a fork to prick each biscuit before baking to prevent puffing or cracking. Bake in a fan oven at 190-200°C for 5 minutes. They’ll look set and lift easily from the tray, but should still feel soft to the touch.
Keep rolling, cutting and baking in batches until you’ve used all the dough. This quantity makes enough for about 15 mini honey cakes (each 9cm in diameter with 3 layers). The biscuits cool quickly, and once fully cool, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days – or even frozen if you’re prepping well ahead of time.
Cream cheese filling – light, tangy and not too sweet
Time for the filling! This is the creamy, tangy layer that brings everything together.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, start mixing the cream cheese and sugar first until smooth. Then, with the mixer running, gradually pour in the double cream. Continue whipping until the mixture reaches medium-stiff peaks – not too soft but not over-whipped. You want it to hold its shape but still be smooth and spreadable.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag. I don’t use any fancy nozzles, just a straight cut at the tip for simple, round dollops.
Assembling the Mini Honey Cakes
Now the fun begins. Start with a biscuit base, pipe some cream cheese filling, place the second biscuit on top, pipe again, then top with the third biscuit. Finish with dollops of cream cheese on top and decorate with berries, the tiny heart-cut-outs or anything you fancy.
Honestly, decorating these Mini Honey Cakes is the best part. You can make them as classic or as playful as you like. For the birthday batch next week, I’m planning to add more fruits – not just for looks, but because they help balance the sweetness of the honey and richness of the cream.
Make ahead, store well and always impressive
These Mini Honey Cakes are perfect for making ahead of time. The biscuits keep beautifully in an airtight container for a few days, and once assembled, the cakes are best eaten within 2-3 days. That extra resting time actually improves the texture, as the layers soften and meld together into one heavenly bite.
Final thoughts: you have to try these Mini Honey Cakes!
I’m so pleased with how this trial batch turned out – honestly, it’s hard to stop at just one! These Mini Honey Cakes are perfect for parties, gifts, or just to treat yourself. They’re beautiful, flavourful and such a joy to make. They may look like something out of a fancy cake shop but they’re completely achievable at home with a bit of love and time.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to see your creations. Tag me or drop me a message! I’ll update this post with more photos and final birthday decorations next week. Until then, happy baking and enjoy every bite of these delicious little Mini Honey Cakes.
Mini Honey Cake Recipe: The Perfect Thank You Treat
Description
These Mini Honey Cakes are made with soft, fluffy honey biscuit layers, filled with tangy cream cheese filling and topped with fresh berries for a colourful finish. Perfect as thank you gifts or show-stopping party treats, they're surprisingly easy to make and even better the next day once the flavours have melded together.
Ingredients
For the Honey Biscuits
For the Cream Cheese Filling
Toppings
Instructions
-
Make the Honey Biscuit Dough
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until just combined.
- In a saucepan, heat honey and baking soda over low-medium heat, stirring constantly. It will foam and change to a caramel colour.
- Remove from heat, stir in butter until fully melted.
- Slowly pour the honey mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.
- Sift in flour and mix until smooth. Dough will be soft and slightly runny.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour (or freezer for 20 minutes) until firm.
-
Roll and Bake the Biscuits
- Lightly flour a clean surface. Roll out dough to 2-3mm thickness.
- Cut into desired shapes (round, heart, flower, etc.). Use a fork to prick each piece gently.
- Bake on a lined baking sheet at 190-200•C fan for 5 minutes until set.
- Cool on a rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
-
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Gradually add double cream while mixing on medium speed.
- Add vanilla extract. Whip until medium peaks form - don't overbeat.
- Transfer to a piping bag and snip the end for easy layering.
-
Assemble the Mini Honey Cakes
- Pipe cream cheese filling onto a biscuit, top with another biscuit and repeat to create 3 layers.
- Finish with final dollops of filling and decorate with berries, flowers or tiny biscuit cut-outs.
- Chill for a few hours or overnight before serving for the best texture.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 15
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 588.58kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 33.94g53%
- Saturated Fat 20.54g103%
- Trans Fat 0.73g
- Cholesterol 132.18mg45%
- Sodium 236.19mg10%
- Potassium 134.77mg4%
- Total Carbohydrate 65.31g22%
- Dietary Fiber 0.7g3%
- Sugars 33.67g
- Protein 7.29g15%
- Vitamin A 331.94 IU
- Vitamin C 0.27 mg
- Calcium 63.69 mg
- Iron 3.23 mg
- Vitamin D 0.73 IU
- Vitamin E 0.97 IU
- Vitamin K 2.76 mcg
- Thiamin 0.37 mg
- Riboflavin 0.35 mg
- Niacin 2.79 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.06 mg
- Folate 27.94 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.22 mcg
- Phosphorus 105.76 mg
- Magnesium 12.97 mg
- Zinc 0.63 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- These mini cakes taste even better after 24 hours in the fridge.
- Biscuits can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for a few days.
- Get creative with your toppings - fresh mint, sprinkles or a dusting of icing sugar all work beautifully.
