This honey cake is so soft and fantastic. The honey baked into the cake layers pairs perfectly with the simple sour cream frosting. 

This honey cake is so soft and fantastic. The honey baked into the cake layers pairs perfectly with the simple sour cream frosting. It will WOW your crowd!

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For my own safety, I’ve been delivering quarters of this goodness to various family members and I’ve received rave reviews across the board. It stays amazing in the fridge for a several days (the longest we’ve tested was 4 days), so this is also a great make-ahead cake. Woot!

It’s definitely a special occasion cake and will WOW your crowd, but it’s easier to make than typical Russian honey cakes that require a double boiler. This one’s not that sensitive, making it more attainable for everyone. Woot! Woot!

Honey Cake Layers Ingredients:

4 Tbsp (1/4 cup)  honey
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 large eggs, room temperature, beaten with a fork
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached, organic) *measured correctly

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_

Sour Cream Frosting Ingredients:

32 oz sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the topping:

1/2 lb Fresh Berries, optional

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_-3

How to Make a Honey Cake:

1. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter to a medium sauce pan and melt them together over medium/low heat, whisking occasionally until sugar is melted (5-7 mins). Don’t put them over high heat or they may scorch to the bottom.

2. As soon as the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and while it’s still hot, add in your beaten eggs in a slow steady stream while whisking vigorously until all of your eggs are incorporated (whisk constantly so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs).

3. Whisk in the baking soda until no lumps remain, then fold in your 3 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time with a spatula until the dough reaches a clay consistency and doesn’t stick to your hands. Mine took exactly 3 cups flour (measured precisely, scraping off the top of the cup). Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly!

Honey Cake

4. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and move on to the next step right away (these roll out best when the dough is still warm)

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen3

5. On a well-floured surface, roll each piece out into a thin 9″ circle (about 1/8″ thick). You can sprinkle the top with a little flour too to keep dough from sticking to your rolling pin.

Place a 9″ plate or base from a springform mold over your rolled dough and trace around it with a pizza cutter to get a perfect circle. Keep the scraps for later.

Transfer the dough to a large sheet of parchment paper and bake 2 at a time at 350˚F for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before stacking. Repeat with remaining layers

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_-2

6. Finally bake the scraps separated evenly on a re-used sheet of parchment.Once the scraps are baked, cooled and firm, you can crush them with a rolling pin or pulse them in a food processor until you have fine crumbs.

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen1

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_-4

Tips for Success:

Roll out the next layers while the first ones are in the oven and total combined baking time shouldn’t take more than 25-ish minutes. Some of mine bubbled up a little on top which is fine since after it’s frosted, it won’t make a difference. I deflated any real whopping bubbles after they came out of the oven. Oh and I re-used my parchment paper (because I’m frugal that way).

If you don’t have a baking sheet large enough to place the parchment paper on,  just bake directly on the rack (that’s what I did!)

How to make the frosting:

1. Beat 1 cup heavy cream until fluffy and stiff peaks form (1-2 min on high speed).

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together 32 oz sour cream with 2 cups powdered sugar. Fold the whipped cream into the sour cream and you have your frosting. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen2

Assembling your Cake:

1. Spread about 1/3 cup frosting on each cake layer (don’t skimp on it since the cake needs to absorb some of the cream to become ultra soft. Press the cake layers down gently as you go to keep the layers from having air gaps. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_-5

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_-7

Honey Cake Recipe @NatashasKitchen_-6

2. Dust the top and sides with your breadcrumbs, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This cake needs time to absorb some of the cream and soften, so be patient. It’s worth the wait!

Master this amazingly soft Honey Cake with simple frosting (step-by-step photo tutorial!) @NatashasKitchen

Master this amazingly soft Honey Cake with simple frosting (step-by-step photo tutorial!) @NatashasKitchen

Here’s the Print-friendly for your recipe books:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

8-Layer Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)

4.90 from 275 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 12 slices

Cake Layers Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp honey, (1/4 cup)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature, beaten with a fork
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, I used unbleached, organic

Sour Cream Frosting Ingredients:

For the topping:

  • 1/2 lb strawberries, optional

Instructions

How to Make The Cake Layers:

  • Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter to a medium sauce pan and melt them together over medium/low heat, whisking occasionally until sugar is melted (5-7 mins). Don't put them over high heat or they may scorch to the bottom.
  • As soon as the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and while it's still hot, add in your beaten eggs in a slow steady stream while whisking vigorously until all of your eggs are incorporated (whisk constantly so you don't end up with scrambled eggs).
  • Whisk in the baking soda until no lumps remain, then fold in your 3 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time with a spatula until the dough reaches a clay consistency and doesn't stick to your hands. Mine took exactly 3 cups flour (measured precisely, scraping off the top of the cup).
  • Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and move on to the next step right away (these roll out best when the dough is still warm)
  • On a well-floured surface, roll each piece out into a thin 9" circle (about 1/8" thick). You can sprinkle the top with a little flour too to keep dough from sticking to your rolling pin. Place a 9" plate or base from a springform mold over your rolled dough and trace around it with a pizza cutter to get a perfect circle. Keep the scraps for later. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of parchment paper and bake 2 at a time at 350˚F for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before stacking. Repeat with remaining layers.
  • Finally bake the scraps separated evenly on a re-used sheet of parchment. Once the scraps are baked, cooled and firm, you can crush them with a rolling pin or pulse them in a food processor until you have fine crumbs.

How to make the frosting:

  • Beat 1 cup heavy cream until fluffy and stiff peaks form (1-2 min on high speed).
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together 32 oz sour cream with 2 cups powdered sugar. Fold the whipped cream into the sour cream and you have your frosting. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembling your Cake:

  • Spread about 1/3 cup frosting on each cake layer (don't skimp on it since the cake needs to absorb some of the cream to become ultra soft. Press the cake layers down gently as you go to keep the layers from having air gaps. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
  • Dust the top and sides with your breadcrumbs, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This cake needs time to absorb some of the cream and soften, so be patient. It's worth the wait!

Notes

Tips for Success: Roll out the next layers while the first ones are in the oven and total combined baking time shouldn't take more than 25-ish minutes. Some of mine bubbled up a little on top which is fine since after it's frosted, it won't make a difference. I deflated any real whopping bubbles after they came out of the oven. Oh and I re-used my parchment paper (because I'm frugal that way).
If you don't have a baking sheet large enough to place the parchment paper on, just bake directly on the rack (that's what I did!)

Nutrition Per Serving

514kcal Calories66g Carbs6g Protein25g Fat14g Saturated Fat112mg Cholesterol190mg Sodium202mg Potassium1g Fiber41g Sugar880IU Vitamin A11.9mg Vitamin C110mg Calcium1.9mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
8-Layer Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)
Amount per Serving
Calories
514
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
25
g
38
%
Saturated Fat
 
14
g
88
%
Cholesterol
 
112
mg
37
%
Sodium
 
190
mg
8
%
Potassium
 
202
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
66
g
22
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
41
g
46
%
Protein
 
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
 
880
IU
18
%
Vitamin C
 
11.9
mg
14
%
Calcium
 
110
mg
11
%
Iron
 
1.9
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: 8-Layer Honey Cake, Medovik
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 514

 

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(And the Pinterest friendly). Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with your friends and family. Good things are meant to be shared 😉

Master this amazingly soft Honey Cake with simple frosting (step-by-step photo tutorial!) @NatashasKitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Sk
    March 23, 2024

    Hi Natasha, I love honey cake! I’m going to make this for someone who can’t have honey but would love this sort of cake -do you think maple syrup would be a good substitute or should I consider a different cake altogether?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 23, 2024

      Hi SK! I haven’t tested maple syrup myself so I can’t say. One of my readers said, “Maple syrup is thinner so I used 1/4 honey and the rest Maple syrup in the same volume and it was loved. If you do experiment, we’d love to know how it turns out.

      Reply

  • KMK
    January 22, 2024

    This is the one cake I make where everyone says, “you made that???” It is that good! While not simple, it is worth the effort. What you get is a well balanced cake that will be a bit different to what your US guests are used to. The only thing I do differently than the recipe is add a thinly sliced layer of spread out strawberries in between each layer. Yum Yum and thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 22, 2024

      That sounds really good! Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe.

      Reply

  • Baiba
    November 14, 2023

    I make very similar honey cake and it is delicious. I’m going to make it this weekend to take to the office on Monday!! 😊
    For frosting – I always use only sour cream. Wonder what the heavy whipped cream add to it?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 15, 2023

      I hope you love this recipe! The heavy cream gives it like a whipped cream consistency, it’s delish! Let us know how it turns out.

      Reply

  • Stephen Cyr-Paulson
    November 9, 2023

    This one is a winner! I’ve made it many times. Everyone loves it! Not too sweet. I made strawberry/raspberry/cranberry sauce to serve with it. Maybe others have better rolling pin skills than me- Even with warm dough I find it difficult to roll it out into 9” circles, with barely any scraps left for the crumb coating. I multiply all of the dough ingredients by roughly 1.5, adjusting the eggs to 4 plus an additional yolk, and a little less than 4 cups flour was perfect. Baking time increased to about 7 minutes. There are usually a few bubbles to deflate with a fork midway through. Watch for the perfect doneness! So much easier for me to work with a little extra. Thank you Natasha!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 9, 2023

      Hi Stephen! Thank you for the review. I’m so glad you love this recipe!

      Reply

  • Jessica Panasyuk
    August 27, 2023

    I have made this cake so many times and it’s a 10/10. Russian and Ukrainians love it!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 27, 2023

      So glad to hear that, Jessica!

      Reply

  • Chantal
    June 24, 2023

    Hi Natasha,

    Do you have an alternative recipe for the layers? Eg I’m finding rolling the layers relatively time consuming. Do you have a hack for perhaps a batter-based recipe that can be poured into a tin?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 24, 2023

      Hi Chantal! No, I’m sorry. I do not have an alternative for this recipe. Feel free to experiment with it or check out some of my other cake recipes for ideas or inspiration.

      Reply

    • Holly S
      October 24, 2023

      Anything worth making is time-consuming. This cake is not a batter like every other cake – that’s the whole point of the cake, actually. It shouldn’t take that long to separate into balls and roll out. If you want to make something in 15 mins you’ve come to the wrong recipe and are perhaps looking for a box.

      Reply

  • Diana
    June 1, 2023

    Hi Natasha! How sweet is this? Can I omit some of the sugar?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 1, 2023

      Hi Diana! I haven’t tried cutting the sugar but we don’t love desserts that are overly sweet and I would not say this cake is too sweet.
      I always recommend making the recipe once as written and then adjusting from there next time. I hope you love this cake!

      Reply

  • Grace
    May 9, 2023

    so delicious.
    heads up for anyone making this in Australia – I think our all purpose flour is different, I had to add almost 2 cups more to achieve the clay, rollable dough texture. otherwise it was more like a batter.

    Reply

    • Olga
      October 13, 2023

      Hey Grace, I make it with raising flour and skipping the baking soda, and it turns out just fine! Always a winner!

      Reply

  • Sara
    April 28, 2023

    I love this cake, every time I’ve made it, it has been loved by everyone who tried it on are. I would like to make this again for my daughter’s birthday party, but I’m a little worried about the fact it would need to be out of the fridge for about 3 hours right before being served. Will it be okay?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 28, 2023

      Great to hear that, Sara! You can store them at room temperature, loosely covered in a plastic bag away from the humidity.

      Reply

  • Mohamad Adghim
    April 15, 2023

    I absolutely loved it! Did it twice and turned out amazing. I used to eat this cake a lot back home but I can’t find it in Canada so I’m glad to find a recipe that tastes exactly the same!! The only thing I noticed is that I ended up with a lot of the frosting than what was needed for the cake. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 15, 2023

      You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

      Reply

  • Lesley Edwards
    April 7, 2023

    I made this recipe! Turned out fantastic. Our neighbor is Polish and she’s 80. She gave me tip to try, even with this recipe. So, after each layer bakes, take a pastry brush and brush on Baileys irish cream liqueur or Kahlua (coffee liqueur) onto each cake layer! Let it absorb overnight. Do not saturate layers, just enough to moisten.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 7, 2023

      Thank you for sharing, Lesley! I’m glad it was fantastic.

      Reply

  • Jo A Roberts
    March 10, 2023

    Dear Natasha,
    I made your honey cake, it turned out great. In fact I made the layers gluten free. I’m the pastry chef at a restaurant that is dedicated gluten free.

    I have a question, once the layers are baked off, can the layers be frozen for future use?

    Thank you,
    J. Roberts

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 10, 2023

      Hi Jo! That’s so awesome to hear! I haven’t tried freezing the layers, but I think that could work. They do keep at room temperature really well for several days, covered loosely in a plastic bag.

      Reply

    • Jo
      March 12, 2023

      Thank you so much. I appreciate your reply. By the way, I put a piece in the freezer yesterday and I will check it today. I will let you know how it turned out.
      Jo

      Reply

      • Sema Schreiber
        September 11, 2023

        Thanks for this. I was scrolling to see if I could make them ahead.

        Reply

    • Stef
      June 30, 2023

      Hi Jo, I’ve always made this cake, which consistently gets rave reviews, with all purpose flour. I’d love to have a gluten free version that turns out as well as the original. Would you share the brand of gluten free flour you used? I have just begun experimenting with gluten free recipes and I have had mixed results (no pun intended!). Thank you!

      Natasha, thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve become known for my honey cakes among friends and coworkers.

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        June 30, 2023

        You’re very welcome, Stef. Thanks for sharing that with us, hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from us!

        Reply

    • Eva
      March 10, 2024

      Hi Jo, would you mind please sharing the GF recipe you did for this? I need to make it GF for my 7yo boy’s B’day and I don’t think I have a lot of time to experiment with quantities etc. Thanks!

      Reply

  • Yuliia
    February 7, 2023

    Cake layers were good but the frosting way too runny which caused it leaking out and cake turned out too dry. I made it again using whipping cream and cream cheese with mascarpone instead of sour cream and it turned out much better.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      February 9, 2023

      Hi Yulia, make sure to use HEAVY whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form, and also it helps to use a thick sour cream. The looser Canadian-style sour cream will make the cream runnier.

      Reply

      • Yuliia
        February 11, 2023

        I did use heavy whipping cream and thick sour cream, not Canadian.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          February 11, 2023

          It also helps if they are both cold (not at room temperature) and to make sure you beat the cream until stiff peaks form.

          Reply

  • Mariana
    January 1, 2023

    My husband’s been dreaming of a Medovik cake like the one he used to have back home in Moldova, and this recipe finally satisfied his wish:)

    I followed the recipe exactly as described and the cake turned out super delicious: moist and flavorful.
    The one thing I would stress again just like Natasha did, is to make sure you whisk super vigorously when you add the eggs because ending up with an omelet is a very high risk. I almost had that happen to me:)
    5 stars!!! this is a keeper

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 1, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Mariana! Thank you for sharing that with us. So glad it was a hit!

      Reply

  • Corbin
    October 8, 2022

    Don’t even THINK about trying to roll out the dough before putting it in the fridge first. The warm dough is unimaginably sticky and will soak up as much flour as you try to throw at it. I ended up throwing my batch away because I just couldn’t get it to work, even though I followed the recipe to the letter. Every other recipe I’ve seen since then says to wrap the dough in Saran wrap like pie dough and refrigerate for multiple hours before rolling out to reduce stickiness.

    Reply

  • Stephen
    September 16, 2022

    Natasha, I appreciate how patient and kind you are to everyone! I’ve made this a few times for different events and everyone loves it. Tomorrow I will prepare it for family gathering for dad’s 88th birthday. He is doing great and still working! I must try more of your recipes soon~

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 16, 2022

      Hi Stephen! Thank you for the wonderful review. Happy Birthday to your dad!

      Reply

  • Tatayna
    September 14, 2022

    Hello Natasha
    I really love medovik I made it few times, but my boys do not like honey. So I was wondering if I have to add honey in it? Or what I can do to substitute it?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 14, 2022

      Glad you and your boys love it! I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe

      Reply

    • Adian
      January 5, 2023

      Being Canadian I had to try Maple syrup. Maple syrup is thinner so I used 1/4 honey and the rest Maple syrup, to the same total volume. It was loved.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        January 5, 2023

        Thank you so much for sharing that with us!

        Reply

  • BYBT
    September 13, 2022

    Definitely some work to complete but it was tasty in the end. If you’ve ever had teddy grahams it tastes exactly like those combined with whipped cream. On the lighter side of sweetness overall.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 13, 2022

      Thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply

  • Robyn Powers
    August 11, 2022

    I made this recipe for the first time last weekend and it worked perfectly by carefully following the instructions! A new family favorite! I suggest making the cake when you have time to dedicate to the steps – its not hard, just can’t be rushed. And leaving it in the fridge overnight will magically transform your creation into a wonderful treat next day! Thanks for this great recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 12, 2022

      Hello Robyn, I’m glad you followed the recipe as it is and enjoyed the result. Thanks for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Sam
    June 20, 2022

    Hi, I’ve got a question about the sour cream fat level. Is it supposed to be regular like 15 or 20 or more like crème fraiche around 30?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 21, 2022

      Hi Sam, Sour cream has a fat content of about 20%.

      Reply

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