This luscious, soft, and delicious Medovik – Russian Honey Layer Cake won’t disappoint you!
Medovik – Russian Honey Layer Cake
and Happy Birthday to Me!
Hello, hello. I hope you are doing fine, my friends.
I am doing well too. I know you didn’t ask, but it’s my birthday tomorrow! I am turning 35. Indeed, I am very positive and optimistic about this, and I am not freaking out like when I was about to turn 30. And 25? Well, that day sounded like the life was almost over haha. Certainly, I am exaggerating a little bit, but I believe some of you have experienced the similar feelings when faced the certain ages.
All right, enough about me! Let’s talk about this scrumptious Medovik – Russian Honey Layer Cake. I have recently shared the recipe for a Napoleon Cake. And there’s another staple from my childhood. Too many Russian recipes? I know. I am surprised myself. Perhaps, I am just trying to find some kind of connections (which have almost all gone) with my childhood. You know – people often get sentimental with age.
If a Napoleon cake is quite difficult to make, this Medovik is a piece of cake! Sure, you need to roll out and bake lots of thin layers, but this is not complicated at all.
I used the recipe of one famous Russian food blogger, but I have altered the original idea.
There are some highlights I’d like to mention.
- Although it’s a honey cake, the honey flavor isn’t extremely strong. It’s more like caramel. Indeed, the original recipe suggested less honey, but I wanted a more pronounced flavor, so I added more. If you don’t like / cannot consume honey, you can easily substitute for maple syrup.
- Preparing the syrup base is a really fascinating process! It will be changing its color; it will be doubling in size and foaming. Chemistry! :)
- The dough is super easy to work with. It’s soft, elastic, and it resembles gingerbread dough. It might be a bit sticky but try not incorporating too much flour. Instead, generously dust with flour your surface and a rolling pin.
- It’s easy to roll out the dough on a piece of parchment and then transfer it onto a baking sheet with paper.
- You can roll out a piece of dough, cut the needed shape, and then bake. Alternatively, you can roll it out, bake, and then immediately cut the needed shape. I have tried both ways, and they worked out perfectly. I think I liked the second method more.
- I recommend rolling out dough pretty thin but not too much. It shouldn’t be transparent!
- You can play with cream filling. Most of Russian recipes I have seen used only sour cream (but you will need to whip up it longer) and didn’t add honey at all. As I said, I wanted a stronger honey flavor.
I think this is all I wanted to say about this Medovik – Russian Honey Layer Cake. Well, I forgot to say it’s amazingly delicious. But I think you can see this.
Now, please help yourself and eat some cake :)
Happy Birthday to me!
P.S. Hey, it’s me if you don’t recognize. Recently I’ve made another version of Medovik. Will you guess which twist is that? :)
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of honey (200 gr)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 60 gr. butter
- 15 gr. baking soda
- 10 large eggs, only yolks
- 5-6 cups pastry flour (sifted) + more for dusting
Cream
- 1,5 cans (300 gr each) sweetened condensed milk
- 300 gr salted butter, soften
- 1/2 - 1 cup honey (to taste)
- 400 gr. thick sour cream (18% at least)
Instructions
- In a large pan combine the honey (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp), sugar, and butter. Cook over medium heat whisking until the butter is melted. Once it's melted, do not whisk the mixture (shake the pan occasionally instead). When the mixture starts to slowly boil, you can let it caramelize for 2-4 minutes (for a deeper flavor) or proceed to the next step.
- Add the soda whisking. The mixture will start foaming. It will also change the color (and even flavor), and will increase in volume.
- Off heat and let cool few minutes.
- Add the egg yolks constantly whisking with a whisk. Let the mixture stay 10-12 minutes.
- Start adding the sifted flour. You will need between 5 and 6 cups. Add 4 cups at once and then gradually add more. Don't mix it too long The dough will be soft, elastic, but a bit sticky (easy to roll out though). Don't add too much flour even if you feel the dough is sticky - instead dust the surface and rolling pin well.
- Preheat oven to about 170 degrees C.
- Roughly divide the dough into 12-14 pieces.
- On the dusted surface (I also recommend doing it on parchment paper) roll out a piece of dough slightly large than the diameter of the cake (The diameter of my form was about 26 cm). If you have a smaller form, the number of layer will be more.
- Pierce the layer with a fork. Transfer onto a baking sheet and bake between 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness and your oven. Don't let the layers get too brown.
- While the first layer is being baked, roll out another piece. Proceed with all dough. I had 13 layers (diameter 26 cm), you might have different number.
- When the layer is ready, remove it from the oven, and while it's still hot, using a dish and knife, cut out the circle. Reserve the trimmings.
- Cool the biscuits completely.
- To make the cream, place the condensed milk in a large pot and place over medium heat for few minutes - just to warm it through. Remove from heat.
- Add the butter and let it stand a minute - we don't need it to fully melt but soften well. Add the honey.
- Using a mixer, start whipping the cream first on low speed (about 5-7 minutes) then gradually increasing to maximum.
- Add the sour cream and continue whipping until it's ready (about 5 minutes +-). Depending on your mixer, the complete process might take between 10-15 minutes. You don't need the cream too thick - the texture should resemble thick sour cream and be easily spreadable.
- To assemble the cake, place the first layer and spread some (3-4 tbsp) of the cream. Let it stand one minute then place the second layer gently pressing it with your hands, and spread the cream. Repeat all layers letting the cake stand a minute between placing the layers.
- Spread some of the cream over the edges as well.
- Let the cake stand about one hour at room temperature to stabilize the cream.
- In a meanwhile, using processor, finely grind the trimmings (You will need about 4-5 cups of them)
- Generously cover the cake with the crumbles gently pressing them into the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least for overnight.
- If you have any of trimmings and cream left (and you will likely have!), combine them in glass or a bowl - that would be a bonus dessert!
- Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
First of all, happy birthday! I love your blog. Very interesting and fun. I will try this medovik Russian honey cake for sure! Your pictures are great. When I finish reading this text, I wanted to eat something sweet! Thank you very much for interrupting my diet! Haha, just joking. Do you like to drink coffee while eating something sweet?
Happy belated birthday, Ben! This cake is GORGEOUS!!!! What perfect layers! Wow! And love your photos!
Those layers are perfect! Wow! I have always loved honey, but even more so in recent years! Definitely love a big piece of this! Happy birthday to ya! Hope you have an awesome day!!
Well, Happy Happy HAAAAPPPPPYYY Birthday, Ben!!!!! I’m glad you have an optimistic outlook on turning 35! This gives me much hope as I am right behind you buddy! So cheers to 35 years of age being THE best yet! ;) I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with this magnificent cake! This is just gorgeous! I love all things honey, so this is screaming my name! Bravo, friend! And happy birthday!
Wow Ben, those layers are superb. I’ve tasted honey cake before and I do really love it so I’ll be excited to try yours. Oh and happy birthday
What a stunning cake! Hope you had a great birthday! Oh to be 35 again!
Happy Birthday, Ben! (It’s my mom’s birthday today too!) Just love that photo of you at the end and WOW what a special cake!
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Happy birthday, Ben! My birthday isn’t for awhile so I have plenty of time to teach Cookie to make this cake for my special day–because it looks amazing! All those layers are just gorgeous. As for the twist on Medovik I have to guess something with lavender. Lavender and honey are a great pair! Hope you had a wonderful day, my friend!
Ben, is it really your birthday today. The 8th? Because it is also mine (no joke – it really is!). Although I am a wee bit older than you are. ;-) Now, had I known that you were going to make this amazing Medovik – Russian Honey Layer Cake as a birthday cake for yourself I might have made my famous Mary Berry Chocolate Ganache Cake to compete with you. But still, I think you would win that challenge anyway! But seriously, what a stunning cake. And a very happy birthday to you too!! (Hope you are being thoroughly spoiled). :D
Wait, it’s your birthday, but you’re inviting me over for cake that you made? Sounds like a great deal to me! Seriously, though, Happy Birthday, Ben! I hope you are enjoying your birthday so far…make sure to go out and treat yourself to something fun today! :-) Now as far as Medovik, this is a new cake to me. But I love learning about new cakes/desserts from around the world, so I’m pretty sure I need to try a slice of Medovik…you know, for research purposes. I love the crumb coating all over it. And as far as that other version? I’m thinking lavender-Irish cream-Bailey’s?
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Thank you. Wonderful. Happy birthday