Honey Cake "Medovik"
Thin, tender honey-baked layers stacked with a tangy sour-cream cream that soaks in overnight until the whole cake turns to velvet. In my village this was the cake for every name-day. No white sugar — only real honey doing the sweet work, the way it was done long before sugar came in fancy boxes.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- One of the most-requested recipes here
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- Makes enough for 10
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- 4 soft Medjool dates, pitted and mashed to a paste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 cups (480 g) full-fat sour cream, cold
- 1 cup (240 g) full-fat Greek yogurt, cold
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
What goes into Honey Cake "Medovik"
This one comes together in a few parts, each doing its own job:
- For the honey layers. Built from 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey and a few others.
- For the sour-cream honey cream. Built from 2 cups (480 g) full-fat sour cream and a few others.
- To finish. Built from 1/2 cup toasted walnuts.
How to make it
Make the honey base. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water (bain-marie), melt the honey, butter and mashed dates together, stirring, until smooth and loose — about 3 minutes.
Bloom the soda. Whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up pale and double in size — keep it over the heat, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until it calms to a light caramel color.
Add eggs, then flour. Off the heat, whisk in the eggs one at a time (work quickly so they don't scramble). Fold in the salt and flour a little at a time until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Chill 20 minutes.
Divide and roll. Split the dough into 8 balls. On a floured sheet of parchment, roll each into a thin circle about 8 inches (20 cm) wide.
Bake the layers. Bake at 350°F (175°C), one or two at a time, for 4–5 minutes each, until golden. Trim each hot layer to a neat circle using a plate as a guide (save the trimmings). Cool flat.
Whip the cream. Whisk the cold sour cream, yogurt, honey and vanilla just until smooth and thick. Don't over-whisk or it will loosen.
Assemble. Stack the layers on a plate, spreading a generous layer of cream between each. Cover the top and sides with the rest.
Crumb and chill. Blitz the saved trimmings into crumbs, mix with the walnuts, and press over the top and sides. Chill at least 6 hours, ideally overnight — this is the secret. The layers drink in the cream and go soft as a cloud.
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Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Honey Cake "Medovik" really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from honey - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
How long does Honey Cake "Medovik" keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Honey Cake "Medovik" make?
This makes enough for 10. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Honey Cake "Medovik"
Thin, tender honey-baked layers stacked with a tangy sour-cream cream that soaks in overnight until the whole cake turns to velvet. In my village this was the cake for every…
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- 4 soft Medjool dates, pitted and mashed to a paste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 cups (480 g) full-fat sour cream, cold
- 1 cup (240 g) full-fat Greek yogurt, cold
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- Make the honey base. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water (bain-marie), melt the honey, butter and mashed dates together, stirring, until smooth and loose — about 3 minutes.
- Bloom the soda. Whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up pale and double in size — keep it over the heat, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until it calms to a light caramel color.
- Add eggs, then flour. Off the heat, whisk in the eggs one at a time (work quickly so they don't scramble). Fold in the salt and flour a little at a time until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Chill 20 minutes.
- Divide and roll. Split the dough into 8 balls. On a floured sheet of parchment, roll each into a thin circle about 8 inches (20 cm) wide.
- Bake the layers. Bake at 350°F (175°C), one or two at a time, for 4–5 minutes each, until golden. Trim each hot layer to a neat circle using a plate as a guide (save the trimmings). Cool flat.
- Whip the cream. Whisk the cold sour cream, yogurt, honey and vanilla just until smooth and thick. Don't over-whisk or it will loosen.
- Assemble. Stack the layers on a plate, spreading a generous layer of cream between each. Cover the top and sides with the rest.
- Crumb and chill. Blitz the saved trimmings into crumbs, mix with the walnuts, and press over the top and sides. Chill at least 6 hours, ideally overnight — this is the secret. The layers drink in the cream and go soft as a cloud.
