Cornbread Cake with Honey Vanilla Frosting

Cornbread Cake with Honey Vanilla Frosting is a soft, moist layer cake with the sweet corn flavor of homemade cornbread and thick layers of creamy honey frosting. Fine yellow cornmeal gives the cake its signature flavor and texture, while sour cream and oil keep every layer tender. I love making this as a four-layer cake because you get a little honey vanilla frosting with every bite.

• Soft and moist: Sour cream and vegetable oil keep the cake tender instead of dry or crumbly.
• Real cornmeal flavor: Fine yellow cornmeal gives you that familiar sweet cornbread flavor while still keeping the texture cake-like.
• Honey vanilla frosting: Creamy vanilla buttercream with real honey is SO good with the cornmeal cake.
• Two or four layers: Keep the baked cakes whole or slice each one in half like I did for the cake pictured here.
• Easy to make gluten free: Swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour.
• Perfect for celebrations: It looks impressive as a four-layer cake without requiring complicated decorating.

• For the Cornbread Cake
• All-purpose flour: Gives the cake structure. You can also use a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
• Fine yellow cornmeal: Gives the cake its sweet corn flavor and subtle texture. Fine cornmeal works best for a softer cake.
• Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the vanilla and corn flavors.
• Baking powder: Helps the cake layers rise and gives them a lighter texture.
• Sugar: This is a dessert cake, so we’re using enough sugar to make it sweeter than traditional cornbread.
• Milk: Adds moisture to the batter.
• Sour cream: One of the keys to keeping this cornbread cake soft and moist.
• Eggs: Give the cake structure and richness.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warm vanilla flavor to the cake.
• Vegetable oil: Keeps the crumb tender and moist, even after the cake has cooled.
• For the Honey Vanilla Frosting
• Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature so the frosting whips up light and creamy.
• Heavy cream: Helps create a smooth, fluffy frosting. Milk can also be used.
• Powdered sugar: Gives the frosting its sweetness and structure.
• Vanilla extract: Adds plenty of vanilla flavor.
• Honey: Adds natural honey flavor that pairs perfectly with the cornmeal cake.
• Kosher salt: Just a pinch helps balance the sweetness.

• Make the batter. Mix the sugar and oil, then add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder together. Mix into the wet ingredients just until combined.
• Bake. Divide between two prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make the frosting. Whip the butter until creamy, then mix in the honey, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream.
• Assemble. Leave the cakes as two layers or slice each in half for four layers. Frost between the layers, then frost the outside and top.

• Use fine yellow cornmeal. A fine grind gives you the cornbread flavor without making the cake overly gritty or coarse.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet just until everything is incorporated for a softer cake.
• Use room-temperature ingredients. Let the eggs, milk, and sour cream come to room temperature so they mix evenly into the batter.
• Cool completely before frosting. Even a slightly warm cake can cause the honey vanilla frosting to soften or melt.
• Chill before slicing into layers. If you’re making the four-layer version, chilling the cakes first makes them much easier to slice evenly.
• Adjust the frosting to your taste. Four layers give you more frosting in every bite and a sweeter finished cake. For less sweetness, keep it as a two-layer cake.

• Gluten-Free Cornbread Cake: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Keep the measurements the same.
• 9×13 Cornbread Cake: Skip the layers and bake the batter in a prepared 9×13-inch baking dish. Cool completely, then spread the honey vanilla frosting over the top.
• Two-Layer Cake: Leave both 8-inch cakes whole instead of slicing them in half. This gives you a higher cake-to-frosting ratio and lets the cornmeal flavor stand out more.
• Four-Layer Cake: Slice each cooled cake horizontally in half to create four layers, like the cake pictured. This version is sweeter because you get more honey vanilla frosting in every bite.
• Milk for Heavy Cream: You can use milk instead of heavy cream in the frosting. Start with a small amount and add more as needed until it’s smooth and spreadable.

• Store the frosted Cornbread Cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let individual slices sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving so the cake softens and the frosting becomes creamy again.
• To freeze, wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling and frosting. You can also freeze individual frosted slices in an airtight container, then thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
• This cake does not need to be reheated. It is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.