Russian Honey Cake - Medovik

This cake is always successful on any festive occasion. It melts in your mouth and it's a perfect combination of honey flavored dough and sour cream. If you add some nuts and prunes ... I assure you there will be none left for the next day.

I have been making this cake recipe for almost twelve years, since I found it in an old Soviet newspaper in my grandmother's closet. I recommend it with confidence!

Important! Follow all the steps and the little tips to be 100% successful. Also, you'll find a picture of the cake section in the last step.

Ingredients
Egg
2 pieces
Sugar
1 cup
for the dough
Butter
60 g
Honey
2 tbsp
Baking soda
1.5 tsp
White flour
3.5 cups
Sour Cream(20%)
1.5 l
Sugar
2 cups
for the cream
Chopped walnuts
200 g
and prunes or pitted sour cherries, optional
Step by step
Step 1

In a saucepan or heat-resistant bowl beat the eggs. Add sugar, butter and honey, mix with a spoon.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 1
Step 2

Place the pan over a bain-marie. Stir periodically for 15 min.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 2
Step 3

During these 15 minutes, the butter, sugar and honey will melt. Remove the pan from the bain-marie and add baking soda. Mix well and put it back over the bain-marie.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 3
Step 4

Stir slowly and continuously for five minutes, until the mixture gets double in volume.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 4
Step 5

Add flour and knead.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 5
Step 6

If the dough seems too soft, add half a glass of flour. Keep the dough in a warm place or covered with a towel while it sits, otherwise the honey and sugar will harden and it will be difficult to work with it.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 6
Step 7

Cut about seven pieces (balls) from this dough. Make sure you keep the rest warm while you work each sheet.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 7
Step 8

Spread each ball out into a round sheet. It should be thin, about 1.5mm.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 8
Step 9

Arrange the sheet into a round pan. Use a glass lid or round plate to give a round shape. I used a 30cm pan lid.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 9
Step 10

Cut around with a knife and remove the extra dough. You won't be using it anymore so you can discard (it will harden so much that you won't be able to work with it). Should the dough harden and you cannot work it - heat a little in the microwave or on the bain-marie and knead well (grease your hands with butter or milk).

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 10
Step 11

Cook each sheet until brown. Here you have to be very quick - by the time you spread out and prepare the next sheet, the first will be almost done.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 11
Step 12

In this way, cook all the cake sheets (there are six or seven). It takes about an hour and a half, including the kneading.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 12
Step 13

Combine the sour cream with the sugar. Whisk well with the mixer until the sugar dissolves and the cream stays on the spoon, it mustn't be runny. If it's still runny, add whipped cream stabilizer - two sachets to one liter of sour cream and beat a little more.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 13
Step 14

Spread the cake sheets with sour cream. You can sprinkle with chopped walnuts and pieces of prunes. Use plenty of cream, about three or four tablespoons per sheet, it will be much tastier. Just make sure you have enough for all the sheets.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 14
Step 15

This is what the cake looks like now. Then, keep in the fridge for five to eight hours, overnight. Reserve some sour cream for the next day, to smooth out.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 15
Step 16

On the next day, remove from the fridge. Spread with cream, smooth out with a knife. You can trim the edges if needed, now it's soft and you can shape it as you want.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 16
Step 17

I went for the simple option. I just spread the top and the sides with plenty of cream.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 17
Step 18

Over low heat, melt a little dark chocolate with 50g of butter, until it's runny.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 18
Step 19

With a spoon, I sprinkled with melted chocolate over the cake. Then I refrigerated for another two or three hours.

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 19
Step 20

Here is the cake section, I barely managed to take a picture of it :)

It was so good that there was none left for the next day. I recommend you try it, it will surely be a success!

Enjoy!

Russian Honey Cake - Medovik - Step 20
Quantity: 2 kg (12 servings)
Prep time:
60 min
Difficulty: expert
Ready in: 120 min