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Layered Cornbread Cake With Honey Butter Frosting

Layered cornbread cake with honey butter frosting made from three golden 8-inch cornbread layers baked until set, then stacked with a light and fluffy honey butter frosting. Finish with a honey drizzle and flaky sea salt for sweet-salty, sliceable layers.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cornbread cake layers
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
For honey butter frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 3.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • Honey and flaky sea salt for finishing

Equipment

  • 3 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the cornbread layers
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 8-inch round pans.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients until evenly combined: all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Whisk wet ingredients separately: eggs, whole milk, buttermilk, melted unsalted butter, honey, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
  4. Fold wet into dry until just combined, avoiding overmixing. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
  5. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Make and apply the honey butter frosting
  1. Beat honey butter frosting ingredients until very light and fluffy: softened unsalted butter, honey, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until the texture looks airy.
  2. Frost generously between all layers. Spread to the edges so the stack stays level.
  3. Frost over the outside, smoothing the sides while still leaving some swirls if desired. Make sure the top is fully coated.
  4. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top. Finish while the frosting surface is still fresh-looking.

Notes

For clean stacking, cool the cornbread layers completely before frosting so the honey butter frosting holds its shape. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; bring to room temperature for best texture. For a lighter option, use half heavy cream and half milk in the frosting while keeping the beat time the same to maintain a fluffy finish.