On the Menu: Medovik

What could be better than layers of cake with a tangy-sweet frosting?

Nothing.

Medovik is a Russian honey cake with multiple layers and a sour cream-sugar frosting in between. The cake sits for a few hours on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator so that the frosting melts into the cake. The cake becomes soft and chewy,  rather like a brownie.

You can sprinkle the top with chocolate shavings or nuts, but I opted to keep it plain, served with a bit of leftover frosting. I think it would also be very good with a bit of strawberry syrup or fresh berries.

The cake itself was a bit of work - mostly because of the layers - but it is well worth it. I halved the original recipe because it would have made too much cake for only four people and I can't stand to waste food.

Medovik (original recipe here)
Serves 8-10

For the cake:
5 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs all-purpose flour

For the frosting:
16 oz sour cream
3/4 cup sugar

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
2. Add egg yolks and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat well until sugar has dissolved.
3. Melt butter and pour into another mixing bowl.
4. Add honey to the saucepan and heat until it starts to boil. Add the baking soda. The mixture will start to bubble and rise. Mix for about 20 seconds, until it gets a nice golden color. Do not let it turn orange! Take the honey mixture off the stove and mix well with the butter.
5. Add the egg yolk mixture to the honey mixture and stir well.
6. Add the flour to the egg yolk mixture, a few tablespoons at a time, and stir well.
7. Divide the dough into four equal logs.
8. Press one log onto the cookie sheet until the bottom of the sheet is covered with the dough. The dough should be very, very thin - about 1/8" thick. Bake for 5 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
9. Repeat with remaining dough.
10. For the frosting: Mix sour cream and sugar until combined. Let sit for about eight minutes, or until sugar has dissolved.

Assembly:
1. Cut the cake layers in half. Place one layer on a plate, small cookie sheet, or decorative platter.
2. Spread generous layer of sour cream frosting over the cake layer. Top with another cake layer. It's okay if the frosting drips down the sides of the cake.
3. Repeat with remaining layers. You may have some sour cream frosting leftover (which you can use to make another cake or sour cream brownies!)
4. Place cake in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight. The cake is still delicious even after stored in the refrigerator for a few days!