Go Back
+ servings
a slice of Russian honey cake
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Medovik - Russian Honey Cake

Russian Honey Cake or Tort Medovik is a layered cake made with 8 crispy honey cake layers sandwiched between tangy sour cream frosting.
Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian
Diet: Halal, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 portions
Calories: 504kcal
Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

For the Honey Cake

  • 90 g honey
  • 135 g caster sugar
  • 70 g unsalted butter
  • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 450 g plain flour (+ extra for dusting)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

For the Frosting

  • 500 ml sour cream
  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 500 ml double cream, whipping cream, or heavy cream
  • berries and ground pistachio (for decorating)

Instructions

Making the Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F).
  • Place the honey, sugar, and butter in a large saucepan on low heat and let them melt together, stirring occasionally for about five minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and add the lightly beaten eggs to the mixture gradually while continuously whisking to avoid ending up with scrambled eggs.
  • Stir in the vanilla paste and baking soda, and then add the sifted flour.
  • Fold the flour into the honey mixture using a spatula to form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
  • Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and start rolling them out on a lightly floured surface.
  • Roll one of the dough balls into a 23 cm (9") circle. Using a bottom of a cake pan, trim it with a paring knife to make the circle perfect. Reserve the extra scraps for later to use decorating the cake.
  • Transfer the dough circles to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake two at a time at 200° C (350° F) preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or until golden.
  • Place the cooked pastries on a wire rack to let them cool down before assembling the cake.
  • Repeat the same with the remaining dough balls.
  • Spread the scraps on a baking sheet and bake them until crispy and golden brown. Let them cool down and proceed to make the frosting.

Preparing the Frosting

  • Place the double cream (heavy cream) in a large bowl and beat it until it forms stiff peaks.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and sour cream.
  • Gently fold the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture until nicely combined.

Assembling the Honey Cake

  • Place a layer of pastry on a serving plate and spread 2 large spoonfuls of frosting evenly. Gently press while placing another layer of pastry on top.
  • Repeat the same with the remaining pastries and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
  • Place the baked dough scraps in a food processor and blitz them into fine crumbs.
  • Decorate the top and sides of the cake with crushed crumbs, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight before serving.
  • Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts and some red berries just before serving.

Video

Notes

  • To save some time while baking the cake layers, roll out the next two dough balls while the first ones are baking in the oven.
  • Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the cake mixture.
  • Add the beaten eggs to the warm honey mixture slowly and whisk them vigorously to avoid ending up with scrambled eggs!
  • Prepare your cake layers up to five days in advance to save some time and keep them wrapped in a cling film until you need them.
  • When blitzing the dough scraps to make some crumbs, add some roasted nuts to add your cake extra texture and flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1082IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg