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medovik-cake-honey-layered-cake-russian-on-a-white-plate-sliced
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5 from 1 vote

Russian Layered Honey Cake (Medovik)

Bold honey flavor. Moist sponge cake. And a perfectly decadent cream. That’s what this honey cake is all about.
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Russian
Allergy: Nut Free
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 376kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cake layers:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 cups flour
  • tsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp butter

For the cream:

  • 2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 can dulce de leche, cooked

Instructions

Cake Layers:

  • The dough is made on a double boiler. Pour water into a pot, bring it to a boil and place a non-melting medium bowl on top.
    double-boiler-setup-pan-with-water-clear-bowl
  • For the next step, place butter in the bowl and let it melt completely. Add sugar and honey and mix well until you have a smooth consistency.
    1 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp honey
    double-boiler-cooking-melting-butter
  • Lightly beat the eggs with baking powder in a separate bowl and slowly add the mixture into the batter. Continue to mix the batter while adding the mixture.
    2 eggs, 1½ tsp baking powder
    whisking-dough-for-honey-cake-in-a-clear-bowl
  • Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the batter becomes fluffy and changes the color to light yellow.
    cook-dough-double-boiler
  • Add 2 cups of flour to the batter and continue mixing for 5 minutes. It will be sticky.
    2 cups flour
    double-boiler-in-a-clear-bowl-dough-for-medovik-russian-cake
  • Take it off the double boiler and let it cool for 2 minutes. On the counter, add flour and shape it into a ball.
    dough-in-a-clear-bowl-for-honey-cake-medovik
  • Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    baking-pan-with-parchment-paper
  • Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each one out with a rolling pin into a circular shape.
    russian-medovik-cake-dough-cut-into-eight-slices
  • If sticky, add more flour. Bake each thin layer for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
    honey-cake-medovik-russian-rolling-dough-with-rolling-pin-to-bake
  • Remove from the oven and cut out a perfect circle by placing a plate over the top and tracing with a knife. This will make them all equal in size. You can also do this step before you make it.
    honey-cake-medovik-russian-cake-baked-plate-on-top
  • Save the outside of the circle pieces for decorating the cake later.
    honey-cake-russian-medovik-crumbs-in-a-bowl

Make the cream and put the cake together:

  • Beat the softened butter at high speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add cooked condensed milk (dulce de leche) and continue mixing on medium speed until well combined.
    2 sticks butter,, 1 can dulce de leche,
    cream-for-honey-cake-russian-medovik
  • Spread a generous layer of cream on each layer and place one on top of the other.
    honey-cake-recipe-russian-dulce-de-leche-spread-on-a-layer
  • For decorating: Shred leftover cake pieces in a food processor and sprinkle them over the top of the cake and on the sides.
    medovik-cake-honey-layered-cake-russian-on-a-white-plate-sliced
  • For best results, let the cake stand for a few hours before serving.

Notes

  • Use a plate or a cake ring to cut out perfect circles from the baked layers, ensuring even size and shape. Bake the cuttings to make for cake crumbs later. I recommend to do this step before baking, especially if you are a beginner at making this layered honey cake. 
  • Save the cuttings from the baked cake to crumble in a food processor and decorate the top and sides of the cake.
  • Do not stack the layers while they are hot! They will end up sticking to each other.
  • Use parchment paper to roll the dough out, so you can transfer it onto the baking sheet easily with the parchment to bake.
  • The layers baked quickly, so keep an eye.
  • Before serving allow the cake to sit out at room temperature to develop moisture.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 682IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg