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Honeycomb Cherry Cake Recipe

Honeycomb Cherry Cake – Cherries wrapped into puff pastry, then layered with sour cream frosting and chopped roasted walnuts, then drizzled with chocolate. This cake is my childhood favorite and is always a stunner to present to guests.

Honeycomb cherry cake on a cake platter topped with chocolate shavings.

If you ever sees a Russian with 15 buckets of the tart cherries at a cherry orchard it is most likely because they plan to use them for cherry pierogies, cherry piroshkys or for this lovely Honeycomb Cherry cake. If this presentation of the Firewood under the Snow cake has fooled you, then you can blame it on me! I wanted a round cake, not a long log-like cake so I improvised. This classic combination of cherries, whipped cream and chocolate ganache doesn’t really need much of an introduction but if you’ve never tried this cake before I will tell you, you should! Tartness of the cherries balances perfectly with the sweet filling, while the chocolate ganache makes it look like a masterpiece, and masterpiece it is!

 

A slice of honeycomb cherry cake on a plate with forks.

Using the pre-made puff pastry sheets for this cake is a cheaters way to save some time, but if it’s still delicious can you blame me? All in all, it took about an hour to make this beauty and that’s pretty good considering the final product 😉

Honeycomb Cherry Cake

Ingredients for Honeycomb Cherry Cake:

Sour Cream Frosting:

  • heavy whipping cream (at least 33% fat content)
  • sour cream / plain yogurt / Greek yogurt
  • vanilla extract
  • sugar
  • Ganache (click for recipe & instructions)

Chocolate Curls:

  • Chocolate Bar
  • Vegetable Peeler

Also:

  • roasted chopped walnuts (optional)

How to make Cherry Honeycomb Cake:

Thaw puff pastry sheets on the counter until you can unfold them. Dust working surface with flour and roll each sheet to 10 in x18 in. Cut each sheet into 3 long strips. Line cherries in the middle of each strip. Pinch two ends firmly together enclosing the cherries inside. Combine 3 long logs together, then coil inside two 9 inch round cake pans lined with foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 400-425F. (I use commercial size pastry sheets so they look a little different, but the written instructions are adjusted for the Pepperidge Farm premade puff pastry sold at the stores)

How to make the cherry filled puff pastry cake layers.

Once golden in color and puffed up, remove from oven, remove foil from the pan and unpeel the cake from the foil while hot (it will be harder to do so after it cools). Allow to cool completely.
Puff pasty sheets filled with canned cherries baked on a foil sheet.

While the cakes are cooling make the ganache following the recipe and instructions here.

How to make Sour Cream Frosting:

In a bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine the heavy cream, sour cream (or Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt), sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on high until supple and holds shape without running, about 3-5 minutes. Take care not to overbeat or the cream will break into butter and whey.

How to Assemble and Decorate the Cherry Honeycomb Cake: 

Reserve about 1.5 cups cream for the decorating and refrigerate until needed. Put a dollop of cream onto the serving plate, press and adhere the first cake layer to that dollop. Spoonless than half of the remaining cream on top of the cake and spread around evenly. Sprinkle with roasted chopped walnuts (optional). Place the second layer of cake and spoon the remaining cream on top. Smooth cream on top and sides.
How to assemble this honeycomb cherry cake on a yellow cake platter.
Pour cooled ganache in the middle of the cake. Using a spatula spread the ganache around, bringing it close to the edges so it drizzles down the sides.

Fit a pastry bag with a star tip. Fill the bag with the reserved cream. Pipe stars all around the border of the cake, by making a spiraling motion twice for each star.
Puff pastry cake covered in a sour cream frosting topped in a chocolate ganache and whipped cream.

Microwave the chocolate bar for about 20-25 seconds in 5-10 second intervals. You’re trying to make the chocolate bar softer, but not soft. While holding the chocolate bar with a paper towel, run along the edge of the bar with a vegetable peeler producing chocolate curls. Do this right over the cake so that curls fall around the edges or over the piped stars.

Refrigerate cake overnight, allowing the cake layers to soften. Serve cold with coffee or tea.
To slice, dip knife in boiling hot water, wipe and cut. For clean cuts, do so after each cut.
A slice of honeycomb cake made with puff pastry sheets filled with cherries and sour cream frosting topped with chocolate shavings.

Now Bon Appetite!

Try these other Cherry Desserts:

  • Kiev Cake – Yellow Sponge Cake combined with Hazelnut Meringue, Russian Buttercream, and Tart Cherries
  • Cherry Chocolate Pavlova – A meringue dessert that’s made of crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
  • Honeycomb Cake – Puff Pastry tubes filled with Tart Cherry and Layered with Dulce de Leche Buttercream.

Honeycomb Cherry Cake Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Puff pastry sheets filled with cherries layered with a sour cream frosting. A delicious puff pastry dessert recipe!

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: honeycomb cherry cake
Calories: 675 kcal
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Cherry Honeycombs

  • 2 sheets premade puff pastry Pepperidge Farm , rolled to 10in x18in
  • 3 cups sour/tart cherries pitted, drained (see bottom of post for the kind I buy from the Russian Stores)

Sour Cream Frosting

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream at least 33% fat content
  • 1 cup sour cream / plain yogurt / Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar

Ganache

Chocolate Curls:

Also:

  • cup roasted chopped walnuts optional

Instructions

  1. Thaw puff pastry sheets on the counter until you can unfold them. Dust working surface with flour and roll each sheet to 10 in x18 in. 

    Cut each sheet into 3 long strips. Line cherries in the middle of each strip. Pinch two ends firmly together enclosing the cherries inside, creating a long tube. Combine 3 long tubes together, then coil them inside two 9 inch round cake pans lined with foil. They will become two separate cake layers.

     Bake for 30 minutes at 400-425F.
  2. Once golden in color and puffed up, remove from oven, remove foil from the pan and unpeel the cake from the foil while hot (it will be harder to do so after it cools). Allow to cool completely.

Make the Ganache

  1. While the cakes are cooling make the ganache following the recipe and instructions HERE.

Make the Sour Cream Frosting

  1.  In a bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine 3 cups heavy cream, 1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt), 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whip on high until supple and holds shape without running, about 3-5 minutes. Take care not to overbeat or the cream will break into butter and whey.

Assemble and Decorate the Cherry Honeycomb Cake

  1. Reserve about 1.5 cups cream for the decorating and refrigerate until needed. 

  2. Put a dollop of cream onto the serving plate, press and adhere the first cake layer to that dollop. Spoon less than half of the remaining cream on top of the cake and spread around evenly. 

  3. Sprinkle with roasted chopped walnuts (optional). Place the second layer of cake and spoon the remaining cream on top. Smooth cream on top and sides.

  4. Pour cooled ganache in the middle of the cake. Using a spatula spread the ganache around, brining it close to the edges so it drizzles down the sides.
  5. Fit a pastry bag with a star tip. Fill the bag with the reserved cream. Pipe stars all around the border of the cake, by making a spiraling motion twice for each star.

To make the chocolate curls

  1. Microwave the chocolate bar for about 20-25 seconds in 5-10 second intervals. You’re trying to make the chocolate bar softer, but not soft. While holding the chocolate bar with a paper towel, run along the edge of the bar with a vegetable peeler producing chocolate curls. Do this right over the cake so that curls fall around the edges or over the piped stars.

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate cake overnight, allowing the cake layers to soften. Serve cold with coffee or tea. To slice, dip knife in boiling hot water, wipe and cut. For clean cuts, do so after each cut.

Nutrition Facts
Honeycomb Cherry Cake Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 675 Calories from Fat 423
% Daily Value*
Fat 47g72%
Saturated Fat 23g144%
Cholesterol 99mg33%
Sodium 157mg7%
Potassium 238mg7%
Carbohydrates 59g20%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 1515IU30%
Vitamin C 1.8mg2%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bon Appetit & Happy Pinning

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • Romila

    I want to make this but can’t get canned sour cherries will frozen ones work do you think?
    Thank you

    · Reply
  • Jen

    Hi Marina, If I wanted to make it in a form of a hut, could i bake ‘straight’ cherry filled logs and then assemble by stacking them while using cream inbetween layers? Would baking time/temp or anything else change?

    · Reply
    • Hi Jen,
      Yes, you can easily just keep them straight while baking and then stack them into a hut. Just give them a little space between each if doing a couple of them at a time. Just bake until they’re golden brown in color. If you undertake them they’ll feel soft and gummy, but they should be quite crispy

      · Reply
  • Jen

    Hi Marina, If I wanted to make it in a form of a hut, could i bake ‘straight’ cherry filled logs and then assemble by stacking them while using cream inbetween layers? Would baking time/temp or anything else change?
    Thank you!

    · Reply
  • Jenya

    Hi Marina,
    Can i use regular condensed milk in this recipe? If so, would i do anything differently?

    · Reply
    • Yes, you can use regular sweetened condensed milk. Just follow the recipe only replacing the sweetened condensed milk. I do have to say that the cooked sweetened condensed milk really compliments other flavors in this recipe.

      · Reply
  • Lena

    I made it for Christmas. My American in-laws thought it was the best dessert they have ever had. Making it again for birthday this weekend. I haven’t tried the other version with condensed milk in frosting. This one is a perfect combination of sweet, sour and chocolate on top. I think I am also going to make my own puff pastry from the new recipe. I know it will take it to the new level of greatness.

    · Reply
  • Viktoriya

    Hi,

    Would this cake be okay made ahead? Would the cake layers be okay if left out for a day before putting cream on or should they be refrigerated?

    Thanks.

    · Reply
    • I think it is best to assemble the cake together and leave it in the fridge until ready to serve. I would probably wouldn’t make it more than 2 days ahead though.

      · Reply
  • Marina

    Hi Marina,
    I always make my own dough for this cake and into a pyramid, but honestly I like the puff pastry much better! My question is how far in advance have you tried making the cake? I’m worried about it getting soggy…
    Thank you!

    · Reply
    • Ali

      I have the same question… I just made the cake and I am worried if it will be too soft or soggy by Saturday night? That’s two days total. What do you think?

      · Reply
      • This cake isn’t really supposed to have the layers crispy. So if you make it a day or two in advance, it will soften up nicely, just like it is supposed to. I wouldn’t make it more than two days in advance as too much cream might be absorbed, leaving no cream in between.

        · Reply
  • Natalia

    I don’t own/use a microwave, how else do you suggest i get the chocolate soft enough to make the curls?

    · Reply
    • I guess you can do it only on a day that’s really warm. So if it’s 80 degrees in the shade, just leave it until the bar is slightly softened, but not melty… Can’t think of any other way..

      · Reply
  • Natalia

    Looks amazing!!!! What kind of cake spatula do you use?

    · Reply
  • Katya @ Little Broken

    Marin – what other cherries would you recommend using if I can’t get my hands on the one you linked? Anything in a typical grocery store that I may find? Also do you recall what kind of tip # star you used to decorate? As you can tell I’m not a cake baker at all! LOL but wanna give this one a try for hubbys birthday.

    · Reply
    • Hmm… I guess the cherries from the cherry pie filling would work if you tried not to use too much of the sauce surrounding in. Can’t think of anything else that is readiy available in the grocery store.
      The tip I used i think is the Closed start tip #855.
      I believe in you, you will do great! 😀

      · Reply
      • Katya @ Little Broken

        Or I was also thinking maybe frozen cherries that I can thaw out and drain really well? I’ll have to see what my stores carry and keep the cherry pie filling in mind. Thanks for the reply and your confidence in me!!! :)))

        · Reply
  • My sister made this cake for our christmas party, it was really good.

    · Reply
    • That’s great Marina! Thanks for your feedback!

      · Reply
  • Oksana

    Hi Marina, I have a question. So one jar of cherries enough for one cake? Thank you.

    · Reply
    • If the jar is as big as the one that is shown at the bottom of the post, then yes.

      · Reply
  • Nella

    What a great idea to make this a circle cake….I will have to try this, it’s a favorite of ours to order from russian store and they usually make it rectangle. I always thought it was very complicated but thanks to your instructions it’s not.

    · Reply
  • Lyuda

    So….it says twice to see bottom of post for the type of cherries you buy…but then there is nothing about them…please enlighten…Thanks!

    · Reply
    • At the bottom of the post you will see links to the wilton tip that I am using in the post, next to it is picture of the jar with cherries, if you click on it, it will bring you to a larger picture of the cherries that I used. I buy them at the russian store, so the jar costs about 8$, not 22$ that you will pay if you order them online… Hope this helps.

      · Reply
  • Valya of valyastasteofhome.com says

    Wow! This looks so good! Never seen cake made this way. Defiantly will try it! 🙂

    · Reply
  • Thank you Natasha!

    · Reply
  • Natasha (@NatashasKitchen)

    Seriously Now that is a cake! Absolutely stunning. I love that you made it into a layered cake and your method is brilliant! I definitely want to try this one out for the holidays! 🙂 Pinning!

    · Reply
  • alana

    What kind o chocolate bar do u use?

    · Reply

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