Up until very recently my father has been a beekeeper. He had bee hives at our home in Vermont and then drove them, full of bees to Minnesota. Due to a city ordinance he was not allowed to keep bees in his Edina yard and had to set them up at a friend’s house farther out of the city. My dad would drive out on the weekends to tend to them. His love for bees was made more complicated by the fact that he is very allergic to their sting. He swells up like a balloon when stung, but this never deterred him, even though it seemed to happen with some regularity. As a result of his love for bees I have always had a fondness for them and the delicious nectar they produce. Growing up we ate the precious honey he collected on everything from homemade granola to freshly baked bread. In fact, I never knew any sweetener other than honey and maple syrup before I was about 6. Sugar, in any form, didn’t exist in our house.
This beehive cake is a tribute to both the elegance and ingenuity of honeybees, which are in terrifying danger of disappearing. Hopefully more folks like my dad will step up and continue the tradition. The shape of this cake is based on an ancient beehive called a skep, which was made of a coiled basket. My dad’s bees were kept in a box hive, but that isn’t nearly as romantic. Under the hovering marzipan bees are layers of banana cake, walnuts and honey scented buttercream.
How to Make a Beehive Cake
Find an updated version of this recipe from my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes, below.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan and an 8-inch metal mixing bowl. Line the cake pan with a parchment paper round. Set aside.
In a small saucepan cook the butter over low heat.
until the butter is caramel colored and smells toasty.
Strain the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla until it is cooled off slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the banana puree and mix until incorporated.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter between the cake pan and the prepared bowl.
Bake the cakes for about 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. The cake in the bowl may take a few more minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.
Make the buttercream: Click here for detailed directions. Add the honey, salt, and vanilla.
Divide the buttercream in half and add the walnuts to one batch and the yellow food coloring to the other.
Cut and fill the cakes: Slice each of the layer in half, then fill the layers with the walnut buttercream. Click here for a video on cutting and filling a cake.
Using a small amount of the yellow buttercream create a crumb coat to lock in the crumbs and smooth the surface of the cake. Click here for video on creating a crumb coat.
Put a nice thick layer of buttercream over the chilled crumb coat. Starting at the top of the beehive cake, use an Icing Spatula and create a spiral by slowly spinning the Revolving Cake Stand
To create the marzipan bees: Take a small piece of the marzipan and roll it between the palms of your hands until it is lozenge shaped. You can taper one end slightly to be the back of the bee. Paint the stripes on the marzipan with a clean paintbrush or toothpick and black food coloring. Allow it to dry until it is no longer tacky.
Once the stripes are dry, press the sliced almonds into the sides to create the bees wings.
Ingredients
Banana Cake Batter
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups (450g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups (480g) mashed very ripe bananas about 4 large
- 3/4 cup (175ml) mild-flavored oil such as vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
Marzipan Bees
- 1/4 cup (55g) marzipan
- Black gel food coloring
- Gold luster dust
- 1/4 cup (25g) raw sliced almonds
Crushed Praline
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup (60g) whole or chopped pecans
- pinch sea salt
Honey Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups (510g) honey
- 1 cup (240ml) egg whites (from about 6 eggs) at room temperature
- 3 cups (660g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup very strong espresso or 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon espresso powder diluted in 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract Homemade Vanilla Recipe
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Yellow paste food coloring
Instructions
Banana Cream Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 175 degrees C. Generously grease a 9 by 13-inch (24 by 36cm) cake pan (or three 8-inch by 20cm cake pans), then line it with greased parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir together until just combined.
- In another bowl, using a whisk, whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the batter, then fold in the walnuts (if using).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly using a small offset spatula. Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes (about 30 minutes for 8-inch rounds). Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan, then invert it t onto a serving platter.
Marzipan Bees
- Take twelve small pieces of the marzipan and roll between your fingers, until they are a 1/2-inch (1.3cm) long narrow cylinder or capsule shape. Taper one end slightly to become the back of the bee.
- Using a food-safe paintbrush or a toothpick and black food coloring, paint stripes on the marzipan. Let the stripes dry. Then, using a small, clean paintbrush, paint. gold luster dust between the black stripes.
- Press the sliced almonds into the sides of the marzipan to create the bees’ wings. Put the finished bees on a toothpick and set them aside.
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulverize the praline until there are small bits about the size of pine nuts or smaller-but not as fine as powder.
- In two separate bowls, divide the buttercream in half and add the praline to one batch and stir a few drops of yellow food coloring into the other.
- Invert one of the cake rounds onto a serving plate.
- Using an offset spatula, spread half of the praline buttercream over the cake, making sure it goes all the way to the edge. Place the second cake round over the frosting and spread with the remaining praline buttercream. Top with the cake baked in the bowl (trim the bottom flat) as the final layer.
- If desired, at this point, you could crumb-coat the cake with some of the yellow buttercream.
- Put a thick layer of yellow buttercream over the cake. Using a small icing spatula, and starting at the top of the cake, create a spiral by slowly spinning the cake turner and moving the spatula downward.
- Place the bees’ toothpick into the cake to create the illusion of bees buzzing around. Serve the cake immediately.
Crushed Praline
- Line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup and let melt, without stirring.
- Allow the mixture to boil until the sugar just starts to turn amber along the edge. You can now stir without fear of crystalizing.
- When the caramel is evenly deep amber throughout and just starting to smoke, turn off the heat and stir in the pecans and salt. Immediately pour the nut mixture in a thin layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Let the mixture cool completely, then transfer to a food processor and pulse until the praline is pulverized and there are no pieces larger than a pine nut.
- Transfer the praline in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry spot for up to 3 days.
Honey Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the honey and egg whites.
- Put 1 inch (2.5cm) of water in the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Place the bowl with the egg mixture over the simmering water and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until melted (140 degrees F / 60 degrees C) and thin.
- Place the bowl in the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until the egg foam is light, fluffy, and glossy and the bowl feels just about room temperature. (If the egg foam isn’t cooled sufficiently, the butter will melt when you add it.)
- Once the egg foam is whipped and cooled, turn the mixer speed to medium, add the butter, 2 Tbsp at a time, and beat until incorporated. Once you have finished adding the butter and it has mixed for about 1 minute, the buttercream will be creamy and glossy looking again. Turn the speed to low; add the espresso (if using), vanilla, and salt; and mix until well blended.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Hi! Any ideas on how to make the bees nut free? I know I can figure out the cake/frosting part, but my lil guy is allergic to nuts…his first birthday theme is bees and I really love this cake idea… Thanks!
Hi Becca,
You can make the same bees using rolled fondant, which has no nuts at all.
Enjoy and happy birthday to your little guy! Zoë
What a beautiful cake! I just made it today and am serving it this evening. What is the best way to cut a cake like this?
Hey,
this is the cutest cake. My mom is a bee keeper and she is flying in to visit me this thursday. I have to make her this cake. Do you know where marzipan and black food coloring can be found locally? I mean is it a regular grocery stores? I live in Baton Rouge.
Hi Courtney,
I’m not sure where you might find it locally, but here we have marzipan in the baking section of the grocery store. The black food coloring you may have to find online!
Thanks and enjoy your mom’s visit! Zoë
Zoe, I stumbled upon your site via “foodgawker”. First of all i love the ingredients in this cake and icing but it was the tribute to bees that caught my attention. I began keeping bees in March this year and have acquired 6 hives. It is the most awe-inspiring hobby. I, like your Dad absolutely “love” my bees. I name all of my queens, Miracle, Heidi, Rita, etc…. and all have a reason for their name. Silly to some but personal to me. I think I’ll just make the cake in regular pans and enjoy your lovely creation! Glad I found your site – you are a busy woman! Hope you’ll visit my blog for some interesting bee stories, photos and such!
Hi Linda,
Thank you for visiting the site and sharing your story! I LOVE that you name your queens.
Cheers, Zoë
Cute cake. I love the light yellow color. I have watched a few shows about how the bees are disappearing. I really hope they figure something out, because I don’t think people realize how important bees are.
I adore this. Adding to the list of ideas for my daughter’s third birthday (in 355 days lol)
Zoe- this cake is absolutely breathtaking. And I must say, I am in love with your book “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.” I make the Master Recipe at least 3 times a week!
Thank you Laurel,
So glad you are enjoying the book!
Cheers, Zoë
Love this post about the story about your father. And this cake is beautiful! What a fun way to bring awareness to the bees, and you make it look so easy too! I might have to try this one out for my birthday next month!
I LOVE this post! I can completely relate to the lack of any other sweetener as we have hives too and I think im probably bordering on addicted to the honey they produce 🙂 I have it in tea, porridge, on toast, and just eat it by the spoonful. ANYWAY, this recipe just looks totally wonderful and the perfect way to show off honey in all its loveliness 🙂
I love trying new cakes and this one looks so good. You make it look so easy to make. I will have to try this one.
The inspiration and loveliness of this cake has me swooning. I love brown butter in anything, but I’d bet the honey really sets it off! Inspired!
beauteous!
Zoe – I adore your blog but (as the Queen Bee of the Beehive Blog) this beehive cake is simply AMAZING! 🙂 Happy week!
Looks like a cake for Winnie the Pooh:-) How adorable.
That. Is. ADORABLE!!
Divine…..thank you!
My god, that’s gorgeous. I want to dive right in.
You are right. This is a must see! I remember when I was a little girl, I used to capture bees for fun. Luckily never been stung. Then I would let them go.
This is wonderful! I think any joyful way to get kids to care about the welfare of bees these days is a great idea, and this cake is totally irresistible.
Those adorable little marzipan bees are the perfect decoration for your fantastic cake. What a beautiful presentation.
Just beautiful! But I must say, the story of your father and his beehives makes this cake even more gorgeous 🙂 Cheers! ~Tricia
We are beginning bee keepers. What a journey and learning experience it is! My children help (we have little bee suites for them) and I think they deserve this awesome cake for all of the hard work they do helping! We are going to make it next week.
wow, wow, wow. loss for words!!
What an incredibly *sweet* looking cake! A friend of mine recently got interested in bee keeping. I’ll have to send her a link to your post as I’m sure she’ll love to make this as well.
wow, those bees look cool. Its a shame to eat it, it looks so nice 😉