Medovik is one of the most popular cakes in Russia. It is also known as Honey or medoviy cake. I altered the original recipe to create a perfect seasonal cake for the autumn season. I call my creation- Heavenly Autumn Spice Medovik cake. The name is a mouthful but taking one bite of this cake will justify its name. This cake is delicious. It is moist, full of seasonal flavors with has a balance of warm spices… but let me warn you first, this cake is so hard to resist!
Serves 10-12
Ingredients:
Layers:
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4stick butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. of baking soda
3/4 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 tsp. ginger powder
3 ½ – 4 cups flour + about 1/3 cup for rolling
Frosting/Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup sugar powder
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Rum
1/2 cup walnuts – roasted and chopped
1/3 cup English toffee bits
Fresh fruits –for decorations- I used pear, pomegranate and orange
Direction:
Layers:
Get a saucepan and mixing bowl that would fit the top of the saucepan for a double boiler. Add water (about 4-6 cups) to the saucepan and bring it to a simmer; in a mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, honey, pumpkin puree and butter. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and mix until the mixture will warm up, butter gets melted, sugar gets dissolved and everything will get combined.
Add baking soda mixture (in separate little bowl mix baking soda with vinegar), cinnamon, ginger powder and mix well. Turn off the heat and take mixing bowl down. Gradually add in flour. The dough should be kind of loose but not liquid. Cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. (it will thicken).
After dough has been refrigerated, transfer it onto lightly floured flat surface and shape into a log. Then cut it into 7 equal sections.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Take wax paper and cut 11 inch long sheets. You will need at least 7 of these; one per layer.
Next, take one piece of dough, place it at the center of the floured wax paper, sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and roll into a thin flat circle. It needs to get about 9” circle.
Next, using a large 9” circle bowl, place onto the rolled dough upside down, so the edge of the bowl in touching the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough around the edges of the bowl. Lift the bowl and you should have a perfect circle.
You can roll all the circles of dough and then bake, or can bake as you go, one at a time.
Combine all the scraps from the sides and at the end roll it to one layer (it does not have to be perfect shape; I crush that and use crumbs to decorate the sides of the cake.)
For baking, place a baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven.
Take the wax paper with the rolled and cut dough on and place it on the baking sheet.
Bake for about 6-7 minutes, take it out, let cool and peal the wax paper from the baked layer. Baked layers will remain soft.
Continue until all 7 of the sections of the dough are baked.
Filling/Cream:
With electric mixer beat heavy cream until soft peaks, add powdered sugar, sour cream, rum and vanilla. Whip the cream until it will thicken or firm peaks appear.
Assembling the cake:
Place one layer onto the cake platter, spread 3-4 tablespoon of filling evenly over the layer, place another cake layer on top of filling and repeat until you finish all the cake layers. Cover the entire cake (sides and top) with remaining filling.
In separate bowl mix together walnuts, cake crumbs and English toffee bits; sprinkle the mixture on sides of the cake.
Decorate the top with thinly sliced pear and orange or your favorite fruit.
Enjoy!!!
Wow such a beautiful cake! Thank you for such detailed instructions and pictures. I have been always intimidated by Russian cakes but you explained how to make it so well that I’m actually going to give this cake a try
Looks delicious!
You are welcome Tanya. Give it a try
it’s not hard to make at all it just little time consuming…but its worth it!!
What a stunning cake and it sounds absolutely delicious! If I may, I’d like to invite you to submit your photos to the new YumGoggle, a photo sharing site with the philosophy that if you worked hard to cook it and photograph it, we should show it off! Hope to see you there soon!
http://www.yumgoggle.com/gallery/
Thank you. I will stop by
what is pumkin puree?
Alana, I buy pumpkin puree in cans, ready to use. it just a pumpkin cooked and pureed.
I use Libby’s brand. check the link bellow:
http://www.verybestbaking.com/Libbys/Products/PurePumpkin15oz.aspx
I love Medovik and bake it all the time! I think I made it about 10 times this year.
Your photos are beautiful!
Thanks Julia. Waw, You definitely like medovik cake
How do you make yours???
what a fabulous cake! interesting how you roll out the layers of dough, and the filling sounds wonderful.
Thanks Dina. It’s super easy this way to roll out the dough.
Wow, Inessa you continue to amaze us with your creativity and new ideas for a common dessert! I am certainly going to give this a try because I can only imagine the aroma that will fill my house!
Thanks Svetlana.
I am enjoying it, especially when it gets to decorating cakes
thanks Inessa!!!:) Also where would rum be located in the baking isle?
You are welcome Alana. You can find Rum where all alcohols are….
Any brand you prefer the most? thanx for answering my q’s!
Inessa this cake looks AMAZING!!!! you really got talent in decorating. very beautiful.
Thank you Nadia
I do enjoy baking and decorating!!
Wow, this looks wonderful. Such great pictures.
Thanks