Russian Honey Cake (Medovik) – Classic Layered Recipe
This classic Russian honey cake — Medovik — stacks paper-thin caramelised honey biscuit layers with a tangy sour cream filling that softens overnight into a melt-in-your-mouth dessert. It looks impossibly impressive but is surprisingly straightforward to make at home.
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- 8-inch (20cm) cake ring or plate
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Offset spatula
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup powdered sugar confectioners' sugar
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 1⅓ cups full-fat sour cream cold
- ⅓ cup almonds roughly chopped, for garnish
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to taste, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (double boiler), whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar, honey, butter, baking soda, and salt. Stir continuously for 5-7 minutes until the mixture turns a light caramel colour and becomes smooth and slightly foamy. Remove from the heat.
- Gradually add the flour to the warm honey mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Let the dough cool for 5 minutes until it is comfortable to handle.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (approximately 70g each). Roll one portion out on lightly floured parchment paper into a very thin round, about 8 inches / 20cm in diameter and roughly 2mm thick. Trim to a neat circle using a cake ring or plate as a guide. Transfer the parchment with the dough to the baking sheet. Save all trimmings.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes until the layer is golden and just firm to the touch. Watch closely — the thin layers can burn quickly.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the biscuit layer cool on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes — just until firm enough to handle.
- Carefully peel the biscuit layer off the parchment and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining 7 dough portions. Gather all the dough trimmings, roll them out thin, and bake them as well — these will become your crumble topping.
- In a large chilled mixing bowl, combine the cold heavy whipping cream, cold sour cream, and powdered sugar. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture holds stiff peaks and is thick enough to spread without running.
- Place the first biscuit layer on a serving plate or cake board. Using an offset spatula, spread an even layer of cream (about 3-4 tablespoons) over the biscuit. Stack the next biscuit layer on top and repeat until you have used 7 biscuit layers with cream between each one. Spread the remaining cream over the top and sides of the cake.
- Crush the baked trimmings (and any extra biscuit layer) into fine crumbs using your hands or a rolling pin inside a zip-lock bag. Mix the crumbs with the chopped almonds. Press the crumble mixture generously over the top and sides of the cake.Cover the cake loosely and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. This resting time is essential — the cream softens the biscuit layers into a tender, sliceable cake. Remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
- Cover the cake loosely and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. This resting time is essential — the cream softens the biscuit layers into a tender, sliceable cake. Remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 481IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
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