Russian Honey Cake (Medovik) Recipe

Russian Honey Cake

Looking at the photo you probably think this is an ordinary honey cake, cut across and filled with cream. Russian honey cake is quite different from any other cake that I made, even different from the Armenian Cake.

Honey cake batter is similar to a cookie batter, no milk is used and the consistency is similar to cookie dough. The dough is rolled out relatively thinly and then baked. You end up with something resembling large cookies. The ‘cookies’ are layered with cream and allowed to rest for many hours. As a result the cookies become soft like soggy biscuits, nice soggy biscuits, not the kind associated with British ‘tradition’! Sorry for mentioning this.  

The texture of the cake is fantastic. Some of the moisture from the cream filling goes into the cake, softening the cake and firming the cream.

The near perfect layers looks like something that only professional bakers can achieve. Obviously not, if I can do it. This cake is really quick and easy to assemble.

Russian honey cake is normally served with a sour cream filling. Instead of sour cream filling I made egg free vanilla custard. I have given recipes for both below. Also, I used much less cream that normally used. The cream layer is quite thin, as you can see. You should be a lot more generous with cream than I was.

Russian Honey Cake

Recipe source: Whats Cooking America

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups all-purpose flour

Sour Cream Filling

2 cups sugar

1½ litre smetana or sour cream 

Egg Free Vanilla Custard

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190°C/375°F. 
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and eggs
3. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add honey, egg-sugar mixture and baking powder. Stir constantly until well blended and foamy.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in flour until dough is not sticky If the dough is sticky, add more flour (a little at a time).
5. Separate dough into five (or more, or less) equal pieces, depending on how many layers you want
6. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one piece of dough into a round 1/4-inch thick. Place on floured or greased cookie sheet and bake until just barely golden but not brown, about 3 to 5 minute. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining four sections of the dough, re-flouring cookie sheet if necessary.
7. To prepare Cream Filling. Whisk together sour cream and sugar. Don't whisk too hard otherwise it may split or get runny. Chill before using.
8. To prepare custard: Heat milk and sugar until milk almost boils. Slit the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds and add to the milk, or add vanilla extract. In a bowl mix cornflour with a small amount of water to form a paste. Add the paste to milk and simmer until you get the desired consistency. Keep stirring throughout the process.
9. To assemble cake, coat each layer with cream and place on top of each other. Allow to set for at least 6 hours before serving. Optional: For the top layer crumble the last piece of cake and sprinkle over the top layer

Russian Honey Cake

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