Medovik: The tsar of Russian cakes

Medovik is probably the greatest Russian cake of all time. With honey as its most important ingredient, this multi-layered biscuit pie has a tender taste thanks to its creamy filling. This cake was invented in the early 19th century by an unknown confectioner that worked at the court of Tsar Alexander I.

In the Soviet era the medovik cake was a hit among housewives, in particular because the ingredients were available even during product shortages. Nowadays this honey cake is held in high regard among both chefs and the wider public.

There are many variations of medovik. We will cook a version with condensed milk, one of the typical products from the Soviet epoch. Cooking a medovik cake requires time and patience but the result will not let you down.

Let's begin! Make sure you have:

550 grams (4.3 cups) flour

230 grams (1.2 cups) sugar

350 grams (1.5 cups) butter

100 grams (0.3 cups ) honey

360 grams (1 cup) condensed milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

Here we go!

First we should prepare the dough for the layers.

• Mix honey, 100 grams (0.5 cups) butter and sugar and cook the blend in a bain-marie (double boiler). The bowl should not touch the boiling water.

• Beat two eggs and add them to the bain-marie mix. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Add a teaspoon of baking powder. Continue to stir the foamy mix for about 2 minutes. 

• Remove the blend from the bain-marie and gradually add flour that was previously sifted through a strainer.

• Put the dough in the fridge for 2 hours.

• Separate the dough into pieces and roll out the layers: the thinner, the better.

• Pick up the dough pieces and bake them separately to get the decoration for the cake.

• Bake each layer for 5-6 minutes at 170 °C.   

Now for the sauce:

• Beat 250 grams (1 cup) butter with a mixer or blender, gradually add condensed milk, beat again.
• Grease the layers with the sauce. Decorate the cake with the blended pieces of the dough.

Do not put the cake into the fridge immediately: keep it out for 3-4 hours at room temperature to let the sauce soak through the layers.

Enjoy!

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