This Russian Medovik cake is perfect for Rosh Ha’Shana, but I’m willing to have it for dessert all the time. It’s a layer cake filled with sour cream, cream cheese and honey cream and even though it looks difficult to make, it’s actually quite simple.
Medovik Cake
Recipe is loosely based on this recipe with my changes and adjustments.
For the cake layers:
- 3 large eggs
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
- 50 grams (3 tbsp.) dark brown sugar
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) melted butter
- 50 grams (3 tbsp.) honey
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 420 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 800 ml. (4 cups) full-fat sour cream
- 450 grams (2 packs) cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 250 grams sugar powder
- 50 grams (3 tbsp.) honey
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Sugar powder for serving
- Dough: in a pot heat some water to a boil.
- In a fireproof bowl whisk eggs, sugar, brown sugar, melted butter and honey until blended.
- Place the bowl over the pot with boiling water and whisk constantly, while cooking, for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add in baking soda and flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms.
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until cold and set.
- Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. To be precise – each part should weigh about 170 grams.
- Preheat oven 165c degrees.
- Roll out each part of the dough to about 3 mm thick and place on an oven pan lined with baking paper.
- Bake each layer for about 4-5 minutes or until it is golden and set. Cool completely.
- Cut the cake layers into 22 cm circles. Set aside the leftovers for decoration.
- Filling: in a large bowl whisk sour cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar, honey and vanilla until mixture is smooth.
- Assemble the cake: place a layer of cake on a serving plate and pour about 1/5 amount of filling. Flatten the cream with a spatula and place the second layer of cake on top. Pour another 1/5 of the filling, then another layer and so on until cake is ready.
- Chop the leftover cake in a food processor or with a knife and press gently to the sides of the cake.
- Cool for about 5-6 hours (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator, in a sealed box.
- Serve with a little powdered sugar.
- Keep the cake in a closed container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days, but is at its best a day or two after preparation.
- Instead of honey you can use date syrup or maple the same amount.