A recipe from Gemo
Medovik Honey Layer Cake
Medovik is a Russian and post-Soviet honey layer cake made from many thin baked honey cake rounds and a tangy sour cream filling. After an overnight chill, the crisp layers soften into a clean slice with visible stripes and a fine crumb coating.
Method
- 01
Heat the oven to 180 C. Draw a 20 cm circle on baking parchment or use the base of a cake tin as a guide, and prepare several parchment sheets so the thin layers can be baked in batches.
- 02
Set a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Add 100 g butter, 120 g honey, and 170 g granulated sugar, and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in the 3 eggs a little at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons baking soda and 0.5 teaspoon salt; the mixture should foam lightly and smell caramel-honeyed.
⏱ 8 min
- 03
Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the 520 g flour in additions until a soft warm dough forms. Let it stand for 5 minutes so it firms enough to handle, then divide it into 8 equal pieces.
⏱ 5 min
- 04
Roll one dough piece very thinly on a lightly floured parchment sheet, just larger than the 20 cm guide. Prick it with a fork and bake at 180 C until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces, working while the dough is still warm and pliable.
⏱ 7 min
- 05
While each layer is still warm, trim it into a neat 20 cm round. Save all trimmings, then cool the cake layers completely. Crush the dry trimmings into fine crumbs for coating the finished cake.
- 06
Make the cream. Whip the 250 ml cold heavy cream to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk the 650 g sour cream with 120 g powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream to make a tangy, spreadable filling.
- 07
Place one cooled honey layer on a serving plate and spread it with a thin, even layer of cream. Continue stacking all 8 layers with cream between them, keeping the cake straight and reserving enough cream for the top and sides.
- 08
Cover the top and sides with the remaining cream, then press the honey crumbs over the sides and top. Refrigerate the cake for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, so the layers soften and the cake slices cleanly.
⏱ 480 min
- 09
Serve the Medovik chilled or slightly cool. Use a sharp knife to cut thin slices that show the honey layers and cream stripes.
Nutrition
