Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth with a buzz-worthy dessert – Mason Jar Honey Cakes! These adorable individual treats are as bee-utiful as they are delicious, bringing together layers of moist honey cake, creamy honey cream cheese frosting, and a sprinkle of sliced almonds. Topped with delightful sugar flowers, a sugar bee, and even a mini honey dipper, these Mason Jar Honey Cakes are sure to create a hive of excitement for all to enjoy!

honey cake in mason jar layered with frosting and topped with edible flowers.

Oh my goodness, I have the most adorable and delicious dessert to share with you today: Mason Jar Honey Cakes!

Adorable and bee-yond delicious, these are the perfect dessert idea to elevate any summer garden party, birthday celebration, or a baby/bridal shower. Picture a sun-dappled garden filled with laughter, where guests can indulge in these charming individual treats while surrounded by the beauty of nature.

And wouldn’t these be perfect paired with my beehive cake? Too cute!

mason jar honey cakes display on a table with a flower arrangement.

I just couldn’t be more excited with how these turned out. I had a vision for them, and they turned out better than expected! These charming desserts offer the perfect balance of flavors, textures, and visual appeal that will make any occasion extra special. I’m all abuzz! I think you’re going to love them too!

close up of the top of mason jar honey cakes with sugar decorations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS hide

1 Why You’ll Love This Dessert

6 More Adorable Desserts You Will Love

7 Mason Jar Honey Cakes

Why You’ll Love This Dessert

Mason jar desserts are just so darn cute. (In fact, I have an entire collection of dessert in a jar ideas.) There’s something about serving up individual portions in these little glass jars that makes any dessert feel even more special.
The layered presentation in the mason jars creates an eye-catching and Instagram-worthy dessert. The different textures and colors of the cake, frosting, and toppings make for an aesthetically pleasing treat.
The combination of moist honey cake cubes, creamy honey cream cheese frosting, and the delightful crunch of sliced almonds creates a harmonious blend of flavors and textures in every bite.
Honey adds a unique and natural sweetness to the cake, enhancing its flavor profile. It also provides a moist and tender texture, making the cake incredibly indulgent.
The adorable sugar flowers, sugar bee, and mini honey dipper decorations on top of each mason jar add a whimsical touch. These decorative elements not only make the dessert visually appealing but also make it a fun and delightful experience.

mason jar honey cake on a plate with a wood spoon.

Ingredients

To make these delicious mason jar honey cakes, you’ll need a few key ingredients and some bee-utiful decorations.

All-purpose Flour: The foundation of the cake, all-purpose flour provides structure, ensuring your honey cakes have the perfect crumb and texture.
Baking Powder: A crucial leavening agent, baking powder helps the cake rise, making it light and fluffy.
Salt: Just a pinch enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, balancing the sweetness and adding depth to the cake’s taste.
Ground Nutmeg: This warm spice adds a subtle, aromatic flavor, complementing the sweetness of the honey and sugar.
Unsalted Butter: Provides moisture and rich flavor to the cake, and its creaminess is essential for smooth, fluffy frosting.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and contributes to the golden-brown crust on the cake, while also helping to aerate the batter when creamed with butter.
Honey: The star ingredient, honey infuses the cake with its natural sweetness and distinct floral notes, offering moisture that keeps the cake tender.
Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, giving the cake structure and richness, while also contributing to its light, airy texture.
Vanilla and Almond Extract: These extracts add depth and fragrance, with vanilla offering sweet, aromatic undertones and almond providing a nutty, slightly sweet flavor.
Sour Cream: Its acidity and creaminess tenderize the cake, adding moisture without thinning the batter, resulting in a rich and tender crumb.
Cream Cheese: The base of the frosting, cream cheese adds a tangy flavor that perfectly complements the sweet honey and sugar, while providing a creamy texture.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, it dissolves easily into the frosting, giving it a smooth, spreadable consistency and sweetening it without graininess.

close up of the top of a mason jar honey cake.

Decorations

I also wanted to share where you can find some of the decorative elements I used to make these cakes. I’ve linked everything below.

two mason jar honey cakes on a plates on napkins.

How To Make

Okay, I know you’re buzzing to make these adorable mason jar honey cakes! I’ll walk you through the process below. I’ve also provided a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.

Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Then add in the sugar and honey and beat again until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add in the vanilla extract and sour cream and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level it with a spatula.
Bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Then transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let it completely cool on the wire rack.
While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and salt until light and fluffy. This will take about five minutes.

honey cream cheese frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer.

adding honey to cream cheese frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add in the honey, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Beat to combine.
Add the confectioners’ sugar slowly, about one cup at a time, and mix until smooth.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large fluted tip.
Next, cut the cooled cake into small cubes.

Assemble the cake in the jars by adding a layer of cake, then piping on a layer of frosting. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and then repeat with another layer of cake and top with frosting. Decorate with more sliced almonds, sugar flowers, and a mini honey dipper.

decorating mason jar honey cakes with sugar flowers.

Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. (Remove from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving.)

Recipe Tips

Here are some tips to keep in mind before diving into the recipe.

First, make sure to measure all of your ingredients accurately. Baking is a science, and even small variations in measurements can have a big impact on the final product.
Second, use room-temperature ingredients, especially with the butter, cream cheese, and eggs. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle or not mix properly. Third, take care not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can result in a tough and dense cake.
Finally, it’s best to let the cakes cool completely before assembling. Warm cake will cause your honey cream cheese frosting to melt.
If you’re refrigerating these desserts before serving, be sure to remove them from the refrigerator with enough time (about 15-20 minutes) to allow the frosting to soften before enjoying.

mason jar honey cakes on a table with plates and wooded spoons.

Recipe Variations

Looking for a few different recipe variations to customize your mason jar honey cakes? You’ve got it!

You can add different spices to the batter, such as cinnamon or clove, to give the cakes an added warm and cozy flavor.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also experiment with different toppings like a drizzle of caramel sauce, some blueberries,
For those looking for healthier options, you can use homemade whipped cream in place of the cream cheese frosting for a lighter bite.
Hosting a crowd? Save yourself the work of assembling the jars by creating a make your own cake bar. Set out all of the ingredients and allow your guests to layer and decorate their cakes however they’d like!

mason jar honey cakes lined up on a marble board on a table.

More Adorable Desserts You Will Love

I know you’ll enjoy these delicious honey cakes made in these adorable Ball® Honeybee Keepsakes Jars. You need to give them a try! If you do, please leave a comment and a 5-star rating below.

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