• Melt and react. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, honey and butter. Place over low heat, stirring frequently with a whisk until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. The mixture should be very warm, but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda right away with a whisk. The mixture will foam slightly s the honey's acidity reacts with the soda.
• Add eggs. Transfer the warm mixture to a large bowl. It if is very hot, let it cool slightly so the eggs do not cook. Add 3 eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
• Add flour. Mix flour and salt. Gradually add the flour, whisking it at first. As the dough thickens, switch to a spatula, and finally use your hands to knead it just until comes together in a ball.
Flour absorption varies by brand. Add it slowly until the dough no longer sicks together. It should be soft and slightly tacky, but not messy and sticky.
• Divide the dough. Immediately weigh the total dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape into balls, place them unto a tray, and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
Use a kitchen scale for precision. If you do not have one, do it by the eye.
• Roll the dough. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place one dough ball directly onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Flatten it slightly, then roll into a ⅛ thin circle. The circle should be large than the plate or a lid you will be using to cut it out. My plate is 9 inch, so I aim to roll each layer about 10 inch or larger. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle flour onto a rolling pin as well. You can also place another sheet on parchment paper on top and roll layers between the parchment paper if they stick too much.
• Bake. Transfer the parchment to a baking sheet. Gently pierce the wholes with a fork all over the surface of the layer. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
• Cut out the layer. As soon as the layer comes out of the oven. use a large lid or dinner plate to cut out a perfect circle while it is still warm. Keep the scrapes for crumbs separately. Important!:Once the layer cools down, you will not be able to cut it as it hardens.
• Stack. Stack baked and cut layers on a plate and keep the scrapes in a separate bowl. Repeat with the remaining 7 balls, stacking the baked layers on top of each other.

Sour cream frosting

• Whip. In a cold mixing bow, beat the heavy cream on high for about 1 minute until bubbly.
• Add sugar. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue whisking on high until soft peaks form.
• Add sour cream. Add sour cream and mix on medium speed just until combined. Use the frosting immediately. The frosting/filling might be a little bit runny, but it is suppose to be like that as we need moisture to soak the layers. Once the cake rests, it will absorb into layers and the rest will stabilize.

Make the honey crumbs

• Process. Place cooled baked scraps into a blender or food processor. Pulse briefly for a medium crumb (added crunch) or blend longer for a fine crumb (velvety finish). You can also add them to the sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin into crumbs.

Assemble the cake

• Anchor. Spread a small dollop of frosting in the center of your cake stand to prevent the cake from sliding.
• Frost and build layers. Place the first layer down. Spread a generous, even layer of frosting. Aim to add about ½ cup between each layer. Top with a second layer, do not press down hard. Preheat until all 8 layers are stacked.
• Coat the top and sides. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake in a smooth layer.
• Apply the crumbs. Tuck the strips of parchment paper under the cake edges to keep the stand clean. Sprinkle a layer of crumbs on top of the cake. Grab a handful of crumbs in your palm and gently press them against the sides in an upward sweeping motion. Alternatively, use a bench scraper to press the crumbs into the frosting.
• Refrigerate the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 12 hours, though 24 hours is ideal. The honey layers need to absorb the moisture from the frosting to become soft.