Classic Honey Cake (Medovik) with Boiled Condensed Milk and Sour Cream

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you bake a classic honey cake with boiled condensed milk and sour cream? Measure out the ingredients for the dough. You can use either runny or thickened honey.

2. Step 2:

   

   Sift the flour through a sieve so it takes in some air. This helps the layers rise better during baking.

3. Step 3:

   

   In a small saucepan or other heatproof container, whisk the eggs with the sugar until smooth.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add the honey and butter and stir lightly. It's best if the butter is soft, so it melts more easily and quickly.

5. Step 5:

   

   Set the container over a water bath. To do this, pour water into a larger pot and set the container with the mixture on top. The water in the lower pot should boil gently and not touch the bottom of the upper container. Stirring constantly so the eggs don't curdle, heat the mixture until the honey and butter have fully dissolved.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the baking soda to the mixture and stir well.

7. Step 7:

   

   As the baking soda reacts with the mixture, a fluffy foam will form on the surface. Keep it over the heat for another 1–2 minutes, then remove it from the water bath.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour the mixture into a suitable bowl for kneading the dough and wait for it to cool to just warm. Add the sifted flour and mix thoroughly. Knead the dough with a spoon.

9. Step 9:

   

   The dough should come out sticky and soft, but not runny.

10. Step 10:

    

    Draw a circle on the parchment using a plate of the size you want. Form a thin layer, spreading the dough a little beyond the edge of the circle. Smooth the dough with a wet spoon. I later smoothed the dough with a spatula, which gives a more even top.

11. Step 11:

    

    Bake the layer in an oven preheated to 160–170 °C until golden, about 5–6 minutes. Adjust the baking time to suit your oven. Trim the edges of the layer using the same plate. My layers are 19 cm in diameter. You can use the trimmings to finish the outside of the cake.

12. Step 12:

    

    Bake the rest of the layers from all the honey dough the same way. Choose the thickness of the layers as you like. Thicker layers will mean fewer of them. Unlike the classic version, these honey layers come out soft.

13. Step 13:

    

    For the cream, use chilled ingredients so it whips up better. Use good-quality boiled condensed milk with no vegetable fats.

14. Step 14:

    

    Whip the sour cream with a mixer until fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.

15. Step 15:

    

    Add the boiled condensed milk to the sour cream in small amounts, whipping until smooth. Add the vanillin toward the end of whipping.

16. Step 16:

    

    The cream comes out moderately thick.

17. Step 17:

    

    Place a layer on a flat plate. Spread it generously with the cream.

18. Step 18:

    

    Stacking the layers on top of one another and spreading cream between them, assemble the whole cake. Cover the top and sides of the honey cake with cream as well.

19. Step 19:

    

    Grind the layer trimmings into crumbs using a blender.

20. Step 20:

    

    Cover the top and sides of the cake with the crumbs. You can choose a different finish if you like. Put the honey cake in the refrigerator so the layers soak up the cream well. It's best to leave it overnight — then the cake will be especially tender and moist.

21. Step 21:

    

    Decorate the cake however you like before serving. Enjoy your meal!