This honey cake is the cake I made for my own wedding. It’s soft, moist, tangy, and tastes like honey! It has an impressive eight cake layers with an easy four ingredient sour cream filling. You do need some patience to roll out each layer but it is well worth it. It needs to be made the day before and does really well even after a few days in the fridge. This is a popular Russian and Ukrainian cake - leaving you reaching for another slice!
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Soft: The cake layers are ultra soft and the cake has the loveliest texture.
- Honey: The cake layers taste like floral honey.
- Tangy: The sour cream filling is slightly tangy, similar to cream cheese. It balances the sweetness perfectly.
- Bees: Instructions how to pipe bees out of frosting can be found in this recipe.
Jump to:
What is Medovik?
It's like an elevated ice box cake. The cake layers are giant cookie-like layers packed with honey flavour. It's layered with a sour cream - whipped cream filling that soaks into the cookie layers overnight. This honey cake has a soft luscious texture and is perfectly balanced in sweetness. The perfect light cake to end off a meal.
I admit, rolling out each individual cake layer is time consuming but so worth it. The filling is a lot faster to make so it balances out in the end!
Why sour cream in cake filling just works
The sour cream gives the filling a tangy flavour that offsets the sweetness in the honey cake layers. As the cake sits overnight, it soaks in all of the moisture from the sour cream. This leaves a light and airy filling and the most amazing, soft cake texture.
The flavour is similar to cream cheese but lighter and tangier.
Flavour variations
These are some ways you can jazz up a traditional honey cake:
- Lemon: Add the grated zest of one lemon to the filling.
- Prune: Sprinkle chopped pitted prunes in between each layer on top of the filling.
- Berries: Decorate the top of the honey cake with your favourite berries before slicing and serving.
Make ahead
You can make the cake one or two days ahead of time (it gets better the longer it sits). Decorate after it has a chance to sit and soak up the filling.
As the cake sits, it settles and changes size. That's why I prefer to cover it completely in filling and let it sit overnight to soak and settle fully.
You can make the cake one or two months ahead of time as well. Don't decorate it and pop it in the freezer after it sits overnight. Once it's frozen solid, wrap it fully in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months.
Storage
Honey cake needs to be refrigerated because of the whipping cream and sour cream in the filling. Serve it cold right out of the fridge or let it sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes. The cake will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. The longer it sits, the softer and more flavorful it becomes. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months in an airtight container or bag.
Key ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Honey: Use real honey for the best flavour. Grease your measuring cup before measuring honey for easy measuring and cleanup.
Sour cream: Don't use low fat sour cream. The filling will be too watery. The higher the fat content the better.
Heavy whipping cream: Use 35% or higher so that it whips up. Pop the bowl and whisk into the freezer to get them extra cold for easier whipping.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Food coloring: Yellow and black gel food coloring are used to color the bees. Use gel food coloring for bright colors that won't water down the frosting.
Sliced almonds: Use presliced almonds or soak a handful of whole almonds in hot water. Peel them once they cool and slice them thinly before they dry out.
Layers
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large cookie sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl to combine, set aside for later.
Step 2 - In a medium saucepan combine honey, sugar, and butter. Heat on medium low heat until combined and comes to a simmer. As soon as it simmers, take it off the heat.
Step 3 - Slowly pour the whisked eggs into the hot honey mixture. Whisk well to combine and to prevent scrambled eggs.
Step 4 - Add salt, whisk to combine. Add baking soda and whisk vigorously to break up the lumps. It will foam up a bit.
Step 5 - Sift flour into the saucepan. Use a spatula to fold the flour and form a dough. The dough should be as thick as a cookie dough.
Step 6 - Working while the dough is still warm, dump out the dough onto a heavily floured work surface.
Step 7 - Shape the dough into a ball. *Add more flour a few tablespoons at a time and mixing well if needed.* Cut into 8 equal wedges (like a pizza). Shape each wedge into a ball.
Step 8 - Working one by one, roll out one ball into approximately 9” circles. Try to roll it out as evenly as possible. Place an 8” round pan on top and use a knife or pizza cutter to trace out a circle. You can use a plate if you prefer. Set the scraps aside. *If the cake layers aren't even you can trim them after baking and cooling*
Step 9 - Transfer the cut dough round into the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is slightly golden. They burn quickly so keep a close eye on them.
Step 10 - While it bakes, roll out another few layers. Let the layers cool on a cooling rack.
Step 11 - Roll out and bake until there are no more balls of dough left. Bake the scraps on a separate baking tray. You can stack the cooled layers on top of each other. Work on the filling while the cake layers cool completely.
Filling
Step 1 - Pop a large bowl or stand mixer bowl and whisk into the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2 - In a separate very large bowl or pot, whisk together the sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Step 3 - Pour the heavy cream into the bowl and whip with a whisk until stiff peaks.
Step 4 - Transfer the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture. Gently fold together until no more streaks remain.
Assembly
Step 1 - Have a large plate or cake stand ready. Place a tablespoon of filling onto the plate. Place a layer on top.
Step 2 - Add a layer of filling on top of the cake layer, about a third of a cup. Spread all the way to the edge. Continue layering cake layer, filling, cake layer, filling, until all are used up. Make sure to leave a bit of filling for the sides.
Step 3 - Use a spatula to cover the sides with the rest of the filling, fully saturating them. Poke three skewers or chopsticks right through the cake if it starts to lean and slide. Refrigerate overnight to allow the layers to absorb all the moisture.
Step 4 - Crumble the baked layer scraps. Set crumbs aside for later.
Step 5 - After chilling, use a spatula to smooth out the top and sides of the cake. Press the crumbs onto the sides of the cake. You can stop here or decorate the top with borders and bees.
Border and bees (optional)
Step 1 - In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and mix until smooth.
Step 2 - In a separate large bowl (chill the bowl and whisk in the freezer for easier whipping), whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. The cream should hold its shape but have floppy peaks.
Step 3 - Add the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream. Combine with a whisk and whip until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape. Be careful not to over whip or it will become grainy.
Step 4 - Set aside about a half cup of frosting in one bowl and a few tablespoons of frosting in a separate bowl. Transfer the rest of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip or a zippered bag with the end cut off.
Step 5 - Add yellow food coloring to the half cup of frosting. Carefully fold to combine. Add black food coloring to the smaller portion of frosting.
Step 6 - Transfer the yellow and black food colouring to separate piping bags. Cut the tips off the piping bags - a smaller bit off the black bag and a larger opening off the yellow.
Step 7 - Pipe a rope border on top of the honey cake with the white frosting. Use the yellow piping bag to pipe short sausage shapes on top (bee bodies). Pipe stripes and a stinger with the black frosting.
Step 8 - Insert sliced almonds into the backs of the bee shapes for wings. Slice the cake and serve or refrigerate for later.
FAQ
Your cake might be sliding around because of the consistency of the filling. Depending on the sour cream you use, your filling consistency may vary. As the cake sits overnight, it will soak up all of the excess moisture and become a lot more stable. To keep it together in the meantime, poke three skewers right through the top of the cake in a triangle formation.
Add flour a few tablespoons at a time to the dough until it becomes firm enough to roll out and doesn't stick. I like to heavily flour my work surface to help prevent sticking. The consistency of the dough may vary because of the brand of flour you use and the moisture content so you may need to adjust it.
Yes, after it sits overnight you can cover and decorate it with buttercream. I wouldn't recommend using fondant because as the cake sits, it settles and might make the fondant wrinkle.
Yes, use the same instructions for piping but substitute the stabilized whipped cream for buttercream. Use homemade buttercream or store bought frosting for a shortcut.
Check out these other recipes:
Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Honey Cake Medovik
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- electric mixer for whipping the cream
- Medium saucepan
- Baking sheet pizza or round cookie sheets work the best
Ingredients
Layers
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups all purpose flour 480g (more if needed)
Filling
- 32 oz sour cream cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
Border and bees (optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- yellow gel food colouring as needed
- black gel food colouring as needed
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds for bee wings
Instructions
Layers
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large cookie sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl to combine, set aside for later.3 large eggs
- In a medium saucepan combine honey, sugar, and butter. Heat on medium low heat until combined and comes to a simmer. As soon as it simmers, take it off the heat.½ cup honey, ½ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Slowly pour the whisked eggs into the hot honey mixture. Whisk well to combine and to prevent scrambled eggs.
- Add salt, whisk to combine. Add baking soda and whisk vigorously to break up the lumps. It will foam up a bit.⅛ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Sift flour into the saucepan. Use a spatula to fold the flour and form a dough. The dough should be as thick as a cookie dough.4 cups all purpose flour
- Working while the dough is still warm, dump out the dough onto a heavily floured work surface.
- Shape the dough into a ball. *Add more flour a few tablespoons at a time and mixing well if needed.* Cut into 8 equal wedges (like a pizza). Shape each wedge into a ball.
- Working one by one, roll out one ball into approximately 9” circles. Try to roll it out as evenly as possible. Place an 8” round pan on top and use a knife or pizza cutter to trace out a circle. You can use a plate if you prefer. Set the scraps aside. *if the cake layers aren't even you can trim them after baking and cooling*
- Transfer the cut dough round into the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is slightly golden. They burn quickly so keep a close eye on them.
- While it bakes, roll out another few layers. Let the layers cool on a cooling rack.
- Roll out and bake until there are no more balls of dough left. Bake the scraps on a separate baking tray. You can stack the cooled layers on top of each other. Work on the filling while the cake layers cool completely.
Filling
- Pop a large bowl or stand mixer bowl and whisk into the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- In a separate very large bowl or pot, whisk together the sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Set aside.32 oz sour cream, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the cream into the bowl and whip with a whisk until stiff peaks.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Transfer the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture. Gently fold together until no more streaks remain.
Assembly
- Have a large plate or cake stand ready. Place a tablespoon of filling onto the plate. Place a layer on top.
- Add a layer of filling on top of the cake layer, about a third of a cup. Spread all the way to the edge. Continue layering cake layer, filling, cake layer, filling, until all are used up. Make sure to leave a bit of filling for the sides.
- Use a spatula to cover the sides with the rest of the filling, fully saturating them. Poke three skewers or chopsticks right through the cake if it starts to lean and slide. Refrigerate overnight to allow the layers to absorb all the moisture.
- Crumble the baked layer scraps. Set crumbs aside for later.
- After chilling, use a spatula to smooth out the top and sides of the cake. Press the crumbs onto the sides of the cake. You can stop here or decorate the top with borders and bees.
Border and bees (optional)
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and mix until smooth.4 oz cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate large bowl (chill the bowl and whisk in the freezer for easier whipping), whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. The cream should hold its shape but have floppy peaks.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Add the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream. Combine with a whisk and whip until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape. Be careful not to over whip or it will become grainy.
- Set aside about a half cup of frosting in one bowl and a few tablespoons of frosting in a separate bowl. Transfer the rest of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip or a zippered bag with the end cut off.
- Add yellow food coloring to the half cup of frosting. Carefully fold to combine. Add black food coloring to the smaller portion of frosting.yellow gel food colouring, black gel food colouring
- Transfer the yellow and black food colouring to separate piping bags. Cut the tips off the piping bags - a smaller bit off the black bag and a larger opening off the yellow.
- Pipe a rope border on top of the honey cake with the white frosting. Use the yellow piping bag to pipe short sausage shapes on top (bee bodies). Pipe stripes and a stinger with the black frosting.
- Insert sliced almonds into the backs of the bee shapes for wings. Slice the cake and serve or refrigerate for later.2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!