Twelve-Layered Fruit and Nut Cake with Spiced Honey Glaze

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-28 · Updated 2026-04-28

An elegant twelve-layer cake featuring alternating layers of spiced honey-soaked cake, dried fruits, and toasted nuts, finished with a warm honey glaze. This french-inspired new year ready in about 80 minutes pairs all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 12, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks), softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, chopped apricots, cranberries)
• 1 cup, chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp salt.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Step 3: Add 4 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in 2 tsp vanilla extract.
4. Step 4: Alternately add the flour mixture and 1 cup whole milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour, mixing until just combined.
5. Step 5: Fold in 1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruits and 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts.
6. Step 6: Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
7. Step 7: For the glaze, combine 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring until smooth and warm.
8. Step 8: Slice the cake horizontally into twelve thin layers with a serrated knife. Lightly brush each layer with the warm spiced honey glaze before stacking to assemble the cake.
9. Step 9: Finish by brushing the top and sides of the assembled cake with remaining glaze. Let the cake rest for 30 minutes to absorb the glaze before serving.