Medovik Recipe

Written by Christopher Ellis • Posted on 08 August 2019 • Read time < 1 min

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Believe it or not this incredible cake is one of the two reasons I choose to learn russian (the other being Anna Karenina). It is called Medovik (Медовик) which literally translates to ‘Honey Cake’.

I fell in love with this delicious treat in Latvia. I was there to run a half marathon and when I finished I ate a lot of it!

The recipe below is based on the one shown in this video. It was transcribed and translated into English as a graduation gift by my friend Katyusha.

Ingredients

  • Honey 80 g
  • Baking soda 1 teaspoon
  • Butter 100 g
  • Eggs 3
  • Sugar 100 g
  • A pinch of salt
  • Flour 200 g
  • Sour cream (fat content of 20%) 400 g
  • Powdered sugar 1 table spoon

Method

  1. Melt the honey over a low heat
  2. When it has melted and started to boil add the baking soda
  3. See the reaction, constantly stir (for about 2 min) until it turns a dark caramel colour
  4. Remove from the heat
  5. Add the butter, stir, wait until it melts (don’t put it back on the stove!)
  6. Leave to cool
  7. Beat 3 eggs well (use a mixer)
  8. Add the sugar gradually stirring it in
  9. Add in a pinch of salt (all in all beat for 5 minutes)
  10. Add in the cooled mixture of honey and butter
  11. Sift in the flour and gradually mix to incorporate it
  12. Lay the dough on a silicone mat or a baking sheet (in a thin layer!), make it smooth (I divided it into 2 equal parts and baked them in turn)
  13. Bake in the oven at a temperature from 160 to 180 degrees (depending on the ferocity of your oven) for 6-7 minutes only! (Don’t forget to put a bowl of water in the oven on a shelf below the one you intend bake your Medovik on. This will prevent the cake from burning)
  14. Take it out, cut the edges (save them for the cake’s decoration)
  15. Cut each cake into 4 equal (rectangular) parts
  16. Blitz the edges into crumbs in a coffee grinder or blender
  17. Mix the sour cream and 1 tbsp of powdered sugar
  18. Assemble your Medovik, coat each layer with cream (top and sides as well)
  19. Decorate the top and sides with crumbs
  20. THE MOST DIFFICULT STEP 😊 Refrigerate for 3-4 hours
  21. ENJOY YOUR MEDOVIK 😋