Milk & Honey Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream and Spiced Toasted Almonds

I believe food has the power to bring people together. That through cooking and baking we make connections that last a lifetime. 

That’s why I am so excited to be partnering with KitchenAid® as they launch their 2021 colour of the year; Honey!

Baking is my love language. It’s my way of spreading warmth and joy. Whether it be with the loved ones in my home or by sharing virtually through recipes and photos, I believe that a feeling of togetherness can always be felt when we are in our kitchens.

So even though we may need to be far apart right now, we can stay connected through cooking,  baking, sharing and eating. 

So let’s add a bit of the warmth of  honey to the mix, and make the world a sweeter place. I’m starting with this Milk & Honey Cake topped with Whipped Mascarpone Cream and Toasted Spiced Almonds.

This cake was made with the help of my KitchenAid® Artisan® Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer.

When it comes to baking, my KitchenAid® Stand Mixer is without a doubt my favourite and most used kitchen appliance. I use it for every baking project – whether it be big or small, cookies or cake, doughnuts or bread – this mixer makes baking a breeze.

Not to mention, the new 2021 KitchenAid® colour of the year is Honey, and it looks downright beautiful on the kitchen counter. 

I am in love with this new Honey colour. If you ask me what my favourite colour is, I would tell you without hesitation that it is a warm golden orange – so suffice to say, I feel like this colour was made for my kitchen. I am swooning over how perfectly it pairs with my butcher block countertops, creamy kitchen accents and plants. 

Everyday the new KitchenAid® Honey colour brings warmth to my kitchen and a smile to my face. It reminds me that no matter what, there is always joy to be found in the kitchen, and that together we can bake the world a little bit sweeter.

If you want this beautiful, rich, golden orange honey colour for yourself, it is available in two kitchenaid products; The Artisan Series Stand Mixer and  the K400 Blender.

So here is the recipe friends. Happy baking!

Milk & Honey Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Cream and Spiced Toasted Almonds

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

Honey Cake
½ cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup Honey
1 tsp orange zest
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
¾ tsp Cinnamon
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp Salt

Whipped Honey Mascarpone Cream
1 cup Whipping cream
¾ cup Mascarpone
2 tbsp Honey
½ tsp vanilla
¼ cup Powdered sugar

Spiced Toasted Almonds
¾ cup almond slices
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

Honey Cake

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line the bottom and sides of a 9inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Fit your KitchenAid® Artisan® Stand Mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the softened butter, brown sugar and orange zest to the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer to medium high and beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and add honey; beat on high until smooth and combined. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add in vanilla and beat until smooth. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Add in ⅓ of the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients in your mixer and beat on low until just combined. Add in ½ of the buttermilk and beat on low until just combined. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and add in another ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour in remaining buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. Add in final addition of dry ingredients and mix on low speed until your batter is smooth and there are no lumps – taking care not to overmix. 

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan. 

Spiced Toasted Almonds

While your cake cools, prepare your toasted almonds. 

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium skillet melt butter, honey, brown sugar cinnamon and nutmeg together over medium low heat. Add almond slices and toss to evenly coat. Pour almonds onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a thin layer. Place in the oven to toast for 5-6 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Whipped Honey Mascarpone Cream

Once your cake is cooled, prepare your whipped mascarpone cream. 

Fit your KitchenAid® Artisan® Stand Mixer with the whipping attachment. Add  the mascarpone cream and honey to the mixing bowl. Whip on medium high speed until smooth and there are no lumps. Transfer mascarpone honey mixture to a separate bowl.

Pour whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the stand mixer mixing bowl. Whip on medium high speed until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone honey mixture to the whipped cream and use a spatula to stir together until smooth and creamy. 

Assembly

Dollop whipped mascarpone honey cream on top of the cooled honey cake and spread the cream to the outer edges of the cake. 

Drizzle the top of the cream with more honey and sprinkle with toasted spiced almonds. 

Slice and serve.

This post is sponsored by KitchenAid . All opinions are my own.