This Russian Honey Cake – known as Medovik – is layer upon layer of sweet and creamy goodness. Made with honey, cream cheese, and a few other ingredients, this cake takes a bit effort to make but is well worth the reward!
Ingredients
The Cake
▢1/2 cup runny honey
▢1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
▢1 teaspoon baking soda
▢1/2 cup butter, unsalted; cut into small pieces
▢1/3 cup granulated sugar
▢3 eggs
▢1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
▢1 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened (optional)
▢1 teaspoon baking powder
▢4 egg whites
The Frosting
▢1 cup condensed milk
▢1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
▢1/2 cup butter, unsalted
▢1 cup whipping cream, 35% fat
▢1/2 cup nuts, chopped; preferably walnuts
Instructions
Make The Cake Base
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. In a heat-resistant bowl, mix runny honey and cinnamon. Place the bowl over a pot of hot/simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
1/2 cup runny honey,1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Stir in the baking soda and keep stirring until the honey mixture begins to foam slightly.
1 teaspoon baking soda
Add the butter pieces to the honey mixture and continue heating and stirring until the butter is melted.
1/2 cup butter
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add this mixture to the honey mixture and heat for another 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves, stirring continuously. Then remove the bowl from the heat and stir for a couple more minutes until the mixture cools slightly.
1/3 cup granulated sugar,3 eggs
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder (if using), and baking powder. If you want the cake to be lighter in color, don’t add cocoa powder.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,1 tablespoon cocoa powder,1 teaspoon baking powder
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form (4-5 minutes).
4 egg whites
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the honey mixture in small increments while mixing until fully combined. Then fold in the beaten egg whites. The batter should be very airy and smooth, without any lumps.
Pour the batter into a cake pan, about 7 inches in diameter and 9 inches high. You can line it with parchment paper for convenience. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan, then carefully remove it and let it cool on a wire rack. It is best to wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When cooled, slice the cake horizontally into layers about 1/2 inch thick or thinner. Crumble the top of the cake in a blender or food processor – this will be used for decoration later.
Make The Frosting
In a deep bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and condensed milk with a mixer for 4-5 minutes.
1/2 cup butter,1 cup cream cheese,1 cup condensed milk
In another bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Then gently fold it into the butter mixture and refrigerate until ready to use.
1 cup whipping cream
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