Medovik is a classic Russian honey cake. Soft and scrumptious, medovik is a dessert that dates back more than 200 years. Legend has it that the first medovik honey cake was created in the 1820’s by a personal chef for the wife of Russia’s czar Alexander I.

Honey was an important ingredient in Russian cuisine dating back to pagan times. It was a natural sweetener long before sugar was readily available, and a natural preservative for many culinary creations. Kvass was both sweetened and fermented with honey. And it was a primary ingredient in many cakes and  gingerbread cookies.

Russian medovik honey cake is requires time and patience to make but is worth the effort.

While there are countless recipes, most modern medovik cakes are made with a special, homemade filling. Sweet condensed milk is cooked for hours on the stovetop in a warm water bath. The result is a thick caramel flavored spread that gives the honeycake its unique flavor.

The honey biscuit, made with real honey, is first cooked on stovetop and then baked. Once cooled the soft biscuit is cut into thin layers and layered with the cooked condensed milk. Some recipes also include walnuts and dried fruits, like apricots or plums.

But the authentic medovik recipe is believed to be made of just honey sponge cake and whipped creme fraische cream.

Check out the step-by-step instructions below.

Enjoy this scrumptious recipe with a gourmet cup of Russian tea or coffee!

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups of honey
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 4 fresh eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2.5 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1.5 cups sour cream or creme fraische
  • 2/3 cup of powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preparation

Prep Time: 15-20 min | Bake Time: 45-60 minutes

  • Place a clean bowl over a pot of boiling water. Melt honey in the bowl until it is liquified and add butter. Whisk together until butter is completely melted and let rest on low heat.
  • Combine sugar and eggs in a mixer at high speed, this should take about 8 minutes. The ingredients will combine into a white cream.
  • Mix flour with baking powder and baking soda and sift through a sifter. This makes the flour lighter and fluffier.
  • Remove the honey mixture from heat. It should by now be golden brown and have a consistency of caramel. Fold in the whipped eggs and sugar. Slowly add flour and fold in a top to bottom motion.
  • You’ll need about six cake layers each about 8 inches in diameter and 2mm thick. You can use the bottom of tart baking dishes or just eyeball the diameters and spread onto a regular baking sheet. You’ll have some leftover batter which can be used for the grated decor at the top of the cake. Bake the leftover bater on a separate metal plate or baking sheet.
  • Bake everything in a preheated oven at 350F for 45-60 minutes.
  • Whisk creme fraische or sour cream with powdered sugar to make the cream.
  • Let honey cake cool down before layering with cream. Layer together in a cake pan, using generous portions of cream between the honey sponge cake. Decorate with grated honey cake.