Easy Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik) just like the Russian Stores! This 8-layer honey cake is my Husband’s favorite Russian Dessert! It’s feather-light sponge cake layers make an easy sugar-free cake with a simple sour cream frosting and there is no rolling or whisking involved!
Russian Cakes can be irresistibly delicious, soft, and moist! This Russian honey cake isn’t the only one we favor! Try some of our other favorites, like the Curly Ivan Volcano Cake, Chocolate Cherry Cake (snowflake cake), or Smettanik (sour cream cake!) There are many to choose from to impress your guests!
Honey Cake
This honey cake is the feather-light version of a Classic Russian Honey Cake called Medovik! Only it doesn’t require rolling or whisking over a double boiler, plus it’s made with a simple sour cream frosting that is perfect with these sponge cake layers! The frosting soaks up the cake layers to an irresistibly soft crumb and the cakes prep is much easier then you would think!
Our local Russian store sold these honey cakes that stood out from the others! They didn’t seem like the rolled honey cake layers (which take longer to make) but rather looked like thin sponge cake layers hidden under frosting and honey crumbs. After evaluating the store version, I came to the conclusion the layers were probably sponge-like and nothing near to the commonly known stove-top recipes that can come out hard and require a lot of rolling.
Furthermore, I’m convinced the recipe must be easy if they were made and sold in quantities by a local baker, because who wants to make honey cakes in bulk if they’re too hard? This is the only way I make Medovik now, you just can’t beat the simplicity of making a honey cake this easy (if you have an easy Russian Honey Cake recipe please inform me.) This turned out to be so close to the Russian store’s version It’s hard to tell the difference! A total must-try recipe for all the honey cake peeps!
How to Make a Honey Cake:
FAQ
What is Medovik?
Medovik is a Russian Honey Cake that’s made with a whipped Sour Cream Frosting. The Slavic multilayer cake is a famous Soviet Union dessert. A typical portion usually makes 8-layers, although some make it taller. It’s not too sweet and the honey cake is generally made with thin layers to easier soak up the cream frosting. Different techniques can be used like making burnt honey and cooking the batter over a double boiler, however, recipes have evolved that are easier to make and not so long to make in preparation.
This multilayer cake can be replicated with honey graham crackers, however, it’s not going to be the same as if you were to make it from scratch with raw honey. The homemade cake layers here are melt-in-your-mouth soft and is the most amazing Russian Honey Cake I’ve come across. Frostings can vary as you can make the cream custard-based or buttercream style as well as incorporating condensed milk.
Can you Freeze Honey Cake?
Yes! You can freeze the cake layers or the assembled cake!
To Freeze Layers: place parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking or gluing together. Wrap and freeze up to 3 months. Frost a day before serving. The crumbs freeze well too.
To Freeze Honey Cake: cover and freeze the assembled cake for up to 3 months.
Can I make my Cake Layers Thicker?
This honey cake makes 8 thin sponge layers that is about 2-inches high once assembled. To make a taller honey cake you will need to double the recipe and make slightly thicker cake layers. However, it’s important to note that parchment paper works great for the thinner layers, but thicker cake layers tend to stick.
How to make cake layers with a Silpat mat: draw 9-inch circles onto parchment paper and place them under Silpat mats. Spread 1/3 cup of cake batter over each circle and bake to a deep caramel color (7 minutes.)
How To Make a Party-Sized Medovik?
A Medovik Torte can easily feed a crowd! Simply double the recipe and leave rectangular. Assemble as instructed reserving a layer for crumbs.
What ingredients go into a Russian Honey Cake?
- Eggs- need 3 eggs for this Medovik.
- Honey- 1 cup is ideal.
- All-purpose flour- a low gluten flour.
- Baking soda- will make the sponge cake layers rise.
- White Distilled Vinegar- is the acid to dissolve any bitter taste from the baking powder.
Ingredients for the Sour Cream Frosting:
- Cool Whip- is sweetened whipped cream.
- Sour Cream (Smetana)- staple ingredient for a Russian honey cake!
- Condensed milk or dulce de leche can also be added for extra sweetness; add up to 2 tablespoons.
Do you have to caramelize Honey?
You do not need to make burnt honey in order to make the famous Russian Honey Cake (aka Medovik Torte.) In fact, the cake caramelizes on its own as it browns quickly when baking, and baking the scraps browns the honey cake layers even more to give that deep brown caramelized honey flavor.
How to Make a Honey Cake (Photo Tutorial):
PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then, cut out 4 pieces of parchment paper on an inverted 18″ by 13″ baking sheet.
1. Beat together the eggs and honey until light brown and frothy (about 2 min.)
2. Dissolve the baking soda in vinegar and add to the egg mixture, along with the flour.
3. Beat all together just until combined.
4. Place 1/2 cup of batter onto an inverted baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spread the mixture as thin as possible reaching the corners of the baking sheet and then bake for 7 minutes (batter should be spread out to the size of a 16″ by 11-inch rectangle.) Repeat with remaining layers.
(TIP: For a quicker process, use two same-sized baking sheets. One for spreading out the batter and the other for baking. Parchment paper helps with transferring layer from place to place. The batter tends to get slightly thicker the longer it sits, so working quickly is the key.)
5. Carefully peel off the parchment paper from the cake layers.
6. Cut out 2 circles from each cake layer using a plate (about 7 1/2″ in diameter.) You should have a total of 8 circles.
(Tip: Keep layers in a plastic bag until needed, to prevent from drying out.)
7. Take the leftover cake pieces and place into a baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes for the crumbs to dry out. (This makes the crushing process a breeze.)
8. Place dried left-overs into a zip-lock bag and crush into fine crumbs using a rolling pin.
10. How To Make a Sour Cream Frosting:
Mix together the cool whip and sour cream.
11. How To Assemble The Honey Cake:
Place an inverted cake layer onto a cake plate. Spread some cream over each layer and then frost the sides and top. Generously dust the sides and top with the cake crumbs and refrigerate overnight.
Tips:
- Spread the batter thin, it will rise in the oven.
- Run the crumbs through a sieve to prevent lumps.
- Give the cake layers time to soak up the sour cream frosting.
- Double the recipe to make a party-sized sheet cake.
Other Russian Cakes to Try:
- Super Moist Smetannik Cake (Sour Cream Cake)
- Chocolate Dulce de leche Cake (Cake Jeremiah)
- Curly Ivan Volcano Cake
Easy Russian Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)
Equipment
- 18×13" sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Honey Cake Batter:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup honey
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vinegar
Sour Cream Frosting:
- 8 oz Cool Whip (thawed)
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
How to make Honey Cake (Medovik):
- Preheat oven 350° F. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper, overhanging an inverted 18" by 13" baking sheet.
Beat the eggs and honey (about 2 min.) Add the baking soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp vinegar and flour. Mix well.- Spread 1/2 cup of batter onto an inverted baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spread the mixture as thin as possible reaching the corners of the baking sheet. Bake each layer for 7 minutes (makes 4 layers total.)
- Peel off the parchment paper and cut out 2 circles from each cake layer using an 8" plate (makes 8 layers total.)
- Place the scrap pieces into a baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes for the crumbs to dry out. Transfer to a zip-lock bag and crush the crumbs finely.
- To make the cream; mix together the cool whip and sour cream. Spread over each layer and frost sides and top. Garnish cake with crumbs and refrigerate overnight.
Notes
- To Make Tall Honey Cake: double recipe and draw 9-inch circles onto parchment paper and place them under Silpat mats. Spread 1/3 cup of cake batter over each circle and bake to a deep caramel color (7 minutes makes 11 thick layers.) Parchment paper tends to stick to thicker honey cake layers, but not thin ones.
- Honey: use smooth honey as the sugary kind will make it harder to spread.
- Cream: Medovik frosting is usually on the runnier side so that the cream can soften the cake layers easier.
- Party Size: to serve a crowd simply double the recipe and don’t cut out the cake layers, but rather layer atop of each other. Makes a sheet pan Medovik.
