What is Russian cake made of?

Most of them seemed to revolve around the concept of making the cake layers from a roll-out, honey flavored, soft cookie dough, and filled with a lightly sweetened sour cream frosting . Some variations called for pourable cake batters to make the layers, and a few had a dulce de leche based frosting.

What is the origin of Russian honey cake?

Apparently the first honey cake was created in the 1820s by a personal Chef of the Russian Tsar Alexander I . Honey was a very important ingredient in Russian gastronomy dating back to pagan times. They used it as a natural sweetener long before sugar was available to make cakes, biscuits…

What is Russian honey cake called?

Medovik (Russian: медови́к (medovik), from мёд/мед — 'honey') is a layer cake popular in countries of the former Soviet Union. The identifying ingredients are honey and smetana (sour cream) or condensed milk.

What is the national cake of Russia?

Napoleon Cake One of classic Russian cakes. It is made of thin and flaky puff pastry layers and a smooth and luscious pastry cream in between them. It was invented in 1912 in order to celebrate the centenary of Russia's victory over the Napoleonic army.

What does Russia eat for dessert?

Russian desserts Blini (blintz) Chak-Chak. Charlotte. Chocolate-covered prune. Curd snack. Gogol mogol (kogel mogel) Khvorost (angel wings) Guriev porridge. More items...

Why is Russian cake called Napoleon?

In 1912, the first iteration of the cake was crafted to honor the 100th anniversary of the country's victory over Napoleon and his troops . Initially, the cake was much smaller: a single-serve, cream-filled pastry crafted to resemble the defeated Frenchman's triangular bicorne.

Why is Russian honey white?

Russian White Honey The honey is gathered as a liquid and naturally crystalizes to a smooth, creamy white with a texture that's easy to spread like butter . White kiawe honey is sold as a raw honey. When any variety of honey crystalizes, it becomes cloudy and lighter, or almost white in color.

What is a honey cake slang?

(slang) Term of endearment for a young woman .

What is Louisiana Russian cake?

Russian Cake is prepared by mixing our almond cake, gold cake and devil's food cake with raspberry jelly, rum flavor and a hint of anise oil (licorice flavor) . It is then topped with buttercream and nonpareils (aka sprinkles).

What does honey do to cake?

What Does Honey do in Baking? Honey is a 'humectant'. This means that it retains moisture- great news for baking as it helps keep biscuits and cake moist . Honey compared with traditional refined sugar, also means you gain a richer colour and fuller flavour.

Does honey cake contain honey?

A good honey cake is made with honey as the primary sweetener . It will probably also have some granulated sugar, because that contributes to the structure, but it isn't honey cake without honey in the mix. The recipe I use also includes orange juice and whiskey, but that's just me.

What is the best honey for baking cakes?

Clover Honey It is known for its sweet taste, which can add a great deal of flavor without overpowering the recipe. One of the most popular uses for clover honey is honey cake.

How do you use honey in a cake?

One Cup of Sugar = One Cup of Honey For example, if your recipe calls for one cup of sugar, use one cup of honey instead. Keep in mind, though, that for every cup of honey used, you'll need to increase the baking soda by 1/2 teaspoon to help neutralize the acidity of the honey and help the food rise.

Russian Honey Cake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Vicky | Things I Made Today

March6,2021

4.3

10 Ratings

Serves 8 to 12

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Russian Honey Cake is light, sweet, and perfectly moist. It’s traditionally baked in a standard round pan, but I always love the way bundt pans make everything just a little fancier. It’s perfect with tea, with coffee, or with a co*cktail. —Vicky | Things I Made Today

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Vicky | Things I Made Today runs a productivity, time management, and process improvement consulting company in Madison, WI.
WHAT: A spongy and fragrant cake for when the 3 PM doldrums set in.
HOW: In one bowl, beat egg whites into stiff peaks. In another, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Add honey, baking soda, and sour cream, followed by flour and nuts. The last step is to fold in the egg whites and bake the batter in a fancy bundt pan.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Just as morning coffee is better with a bagel or a croissant, afternoon coffee is optimized with a piece of cake. This one looks fancy and sophisticated because of the bundt pan, but it’s made with ingredients you already have in your pantry. —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated
1 cupsugar
3 tablespoonshoney
1 teaspoonbaking soda
1 cupsour cream
1 cupall-purpose flour
¹/₄ cupwalnuts
Butter for pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Beat egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until mixture is almost white. Add in honey, baking soda, and sour cream. Mixing at low speed, gradually add flour and nuts, and mix until batter is uniform.
Gently fold in egg whites.
Generously butter a bundt cake pan (or a 9-inch round pan) and pour in batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Tags:

Cake
Russian
Honey
Sour Cream
Make Ahead
Hanukkah
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Rosh Hashanah
Passover
Valentine's Day
Breakfast

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35 Reviews

Burton March 29, 2023

mick November 18, 2015

My coffie tasts fabulous with this cake. Nice recipe.

mick November 18, 2015

I mean my coffee tastes fabulous.

Swetha C. January 4, 2015

Could I substitute the sour cream with something else?

Vicky |. January 5, 2015

You could try Greek Yogurt but it may change the consistency a little as it is thicker, but shouldn't change the flavor drastically.

Swetha C. January 5, 2015

Thank you! Should I use the same quantity as the sour cream?

Vicky |. January 12, 2015

Yes, I would use the same amount.

kzmccaff January 4, 2015

Also--I should say, I sprayed and floured the pan and it came RIGHT out. Quite easily.

kzmccaff January 4, 2015

Just made this cake and it's great! The consistency is a little spongey and it's lightly sweet, but not overpowering. Perfect with tea (and a new episode of Downton... :)) I added about 1/3 C of walnuts and liked having more of them!

Nina January 4, 2015

It has nothing in common with "Russian Honey Cake"!!!!
And with russian backing traditions also. Because adding honey and sauar cream doesn't automatically make cakes "russian".

Kendra February 11, 2016

Doesn't change the fact that it's AMAZING! :)

majority L. November 16, 2014

Just made this and it's my favorite cake of all time. Neither bready like a muffin nor sweet like a birthday cake. Just right. Great consistency. I want to break off pieces and eat it out of my hand. A couple notes - I used Mexican sour cream rather than American because the Mexican is runnier. I am under the impression that most Eastern European/Russian 'sour creams' are much runnier than the thick standard goop. I suspect it really added a lot of moistness and texture to the cake. I also soaked the walnuts in some almond extract for a minute. I bet some brandy or other flavored liqueur would have added a lot too. Next I'm trying it with different fruits and nuts.

Vicky |. January 5, 2015

Lovely! I like the idea of adding some dried fruits to the recipe. Thanks for the comments!

nkem A. October 14, 2014

I love the recipe, its easy to reach with-out any difficulties am preparing it right away.

Tobiwan October 6, 2014

Tasted better today..but probably won't make it again.

Tobiwan October 5, 2014

Just made mine...not super loving it...very moist...but a bit too spongy and bland flavor...?

Markella B. October 6, 2014

I couldn't agree with you more Tobiwan. Made it for Sunday afternoon coffee but I was a bit disappointed with the flavor. Like you said, spongy and bland, eventhough I sprinkled some cinnamon on top.

Awads October 5, 2014

I baked a second one. Still having issues getting the right color. It came out with raw spots on the top and more amber hued on the bottom. I have a convection thermador oven that has never failed me. Having said that, the cake is super moist and not too sweet. It was a crowd-pleaser. I'd make again.