8-Layer Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)
This honey cake is so soft and fantastic. The honey baked into the cake layers pairs perfectly with the simple sour cream frosting.
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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
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
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!
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)
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
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.
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.
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
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!
Here’s the Print-friendly for your recipe books:
8-Layer Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)
Ingredients
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:
- 32 oz sour cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
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
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
(And the Pinterest friendly). Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with your friends and family. Good things are meant to be shared 😉
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I have made this cake so many times and it’s a 10/10. Russian and Ukrainians love it!
So glad to hear that, Jessica!
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!
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.
Hi Natasha! How sweet is this? Can I omit some of the sugar?
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!
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.
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?
Great to hear that, Sara! You can store them at room temperature, loosely covered in a plastic bag away from the humidity.
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!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
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.
Thank you for sharing, Lesley! I’m glad it was fantastic.
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
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.
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
Thanks for this. I was scrolling to see if I could make them ahead.
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.
You’re very welcome, Stef. Thanks for sharing that with us, hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from us!
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.
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.
I did use heavy whipping cream and thick sour cream, not Canadian.
It also helps if they are both cold (not at room temperature) and to make sure you beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
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
That’s wonderful, Mariana! Thank you for sharing that with us. So glad it was a hit!
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.
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~
Hi Stephen! Thank you for the wonderful review. Happy Birthday to your dad!
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?
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
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.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
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.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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.
Hello Robyn, I’m glad you followed the recipe as it is and enjoyed the result. Thanks for sharing that with us!
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
Hi Sam, Sour cream has a fat content of about 20%.
Can I substitute sour cream with Greek Yogurt for this recipe? And if I can , will it be same measurements as sour cream or less/ more to get the perfect texture
Thank you
Hi Florentina, I think it would work with a thick yogurt, like a whole fat Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt would probably be too loose. I hope that helps.
We were making this cake as a wedding cake in the mountains in Idaho and ran out of sour cream, we added Greek yogurt for the missing sour cream. I couldn’t tell the difference!
I’m so glad that worked out well, Anna! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, I was wondering if this recipe is missing any salt? Other versions I’ve seen require a bit of it at least?
Hi Edouard, we didn’t need to use salt in this recipe but I saw someone share this comment “I did make some alterations to the recipe such as adding salt and vanilla to the dough, you need the salt to balance out the sweet, gives more of a complex flavor. “
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering if the sugar in the frosting can be replaced with lightly cooked sweetened condensed milk, and if so, would it be about to taste?
Thanks so much!
Hi there, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi there! I made the cake on Friday, served it Saturday night. I did indeed replace some of the sugar with cooked sweetened condensed milk. It was very, very good. The caramelized milk flavour paired wonderfully with the honey. I used one can and then about 1c powdered sugar, though I really did just add sugar to taste once the sweetened condensed milk was added. Everyone had seconds, and one person asked for the recipe. I don’t like cheese cake, and this does have a similar tang, but I really enjoyed this cake. So for anyone on the fence, give it a try!
Sounds awesome! So great to hear that you enjoyed this cake, I hope you’ll love all the other recipes that you will try.
Hi! How many days in advance can I make this cake? If I make and assemble it two days in advance, will it hold up? Want to make it Thursday for a Saturday get together but not sure if I’ll have time on Friday. Any foreseeable issues?
Hi Liza, it’s fine to bake the layers few days ahead and store them at room temperature, loosely covered in the plastic bag away from the humidity.
Hi, Natasha! My very first time making Medovik. The cake turned out very tasty and I like that it doesn’t take a lot of time to make it. My question is can I cover the cake in a buttercream frosting, so I can decorate it? And can I put a second tier on it made of sponge cake , using support?
Thank you!
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you happen to experience it, I’d love to know how you like that.
Thank you for another great recipe! I do have some baking experience, and to make this one was a piece of cake for me (no pun intended :-)). It was a little hard to roll the layers out when the batter was already cooling down, so I divided it into 8 pieces, and covered with a wet paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Before rolling them into thin layers, I took one piece at a time, formed a ball, and microwaved it on a small plate for 12-14 seconds. Then I put the warm batter ball on a well floured parchment paper, sprinkled with flour on top, lightly pressed with fingers to start forming a thinner layer, and then used a rolling pin gently, without pressing too hard. They rolled out perfectly because they were warm. They turned out the perfect size and the cake was delicious! This is definitely a keeper. Thank you again!
Hello Elena, thanks a lot for your detailed feedback and for sharing your experience trying this recipe. It is so help and we appreciate it!
This turned out absolutely perfectly! The instructions were spot on, and it transported me right back to my mother’s kitchen. I never thought I could make something so good! Thank you!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jon!
Hi Natasha. Made this cake for Thanksgiving Church gathering and was the first one flying off the table. My kids did not have the chance to eat it but licked the crumbs from the plate. It was the best cake! My question is if I can make it ahead and freeze it?
Thank you
What a wonderful review, Gabi. Thanks for sharing! Yes, that will work great. The cake layers can be made ahead.
Hi Natasha! In your opinion can I substitute sour cream with cream cheese? Thank you!
Hi Amy, I would not advise using cream cheese.
Hi Natasha,
hope you doing well.
First of all, Thank you so so much for sharing the recipe with us.
I just have a question can we use sour cream buttercream( well I call it like that ) what I meant is the buttercream with sourcream.
If not can we add flavors to the sour cream frosting ??
Hi Pravallika, I don’t recall ever trying to blend those two ingredients so I’m not sure if they would blend properly or how they would taste.
I made this for my son’s girl friend’s family who are Russian. I was told they loved it. I found that I had far too much frosting. Next time I would try adding 1/2 cup between layers. Two suggestions:
1) I slowly added some of the hot sugar mixture to the beaten eggs, then slowly add this back to the rest of the hot sugar.
2) I found it difficult to transfer the rolled dough to the parchment paper so I simply rolled it out on parchment paper, cut off the extra paper and put this onto my baking pan. Worked perfectly.
Thank you for sharing your tips!
Amazing cake. First try (too thick) but we cannot stop eating it. Can’t wait to make another russian cake.. love love love..
Can I cake the cake layers ahead and freeze them for Thanksgiving next month?
Hi Terra, yes that will work great. The cake layers can be made ahead.
Thank you, Natasha for the great recipe! My family love this cake! We are from Bulgaria and we now Medovik, but you recipe is the best!
Love it! Thanks for your great feedback and review.
Just a question. When I remove the sugar and honey from the heat and I add the eggs and whisk. Before I add the flour and baking soda, should I pour the mixture in a different bowl so I can mix the flour?
Hi Ani, we added it all to the pan. No need for an additional bowl.
This recipe is a keeper! I tried medovik once when I was in Prague, and wanted to buy it ever since but noone sell it in my country (Indonesia!). So I ended up baked it few days ago for Eid. I followed each step (although for the flour I ended up added more than 3 cups, don’t remember how much haha) and it turned out very well. And I couldn’t find heavy cream for the frosting so I used the powdered whipping cream. It was fine. And surprisingly, the cake is not overly sweet. I was a bit sceptical with the amount of the sugar in the beginning. But everything was just perfect!
Served it this morning, and people were blown away! They thought that it was some kind of Lotus Biscoff cake (which is very hype now here) judging from its look and when they took the first bite… Nope! It’s not biscoff, it’s better!!
I’m so gonna make it again. Thanks for the recipe ❤️
Hello Deannisa, I’m glad I saw your comments and feedback. Thank you for sharing your experience making this recipe, I’m happy to know that you loved the result.
I’ve been doing my research looking for a honey cake and I think I’ve found the recipe I want to use – yours!
I want to use this recipe take make a birthday cake for my friend. I’d like to decorate it though. Would this cake hold up if I covered the outside with something like a Swiss meringue buttercream to decorate? I’d use your frosting recipe except I don’t know if it would provide me with a smooth flawless finish, with sharp edges, on the outside? Any thoughts?
Also, how sweet is this cake? Can I reduce the amount of honey or sugar in this recipe? (I usually halve the sugar in all my recipes unless it affects the texture of the cake).
Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes!
HI Priscilla, it would hold up. It’s even more sturdy if you let it rest with frosting in between the layers – it might be easier to decorate with frosting the next day. 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’m not one to leave reviews. But when I tell you. This is the best recipe ever existing on this earth. It’s no lie. My Russian family loves this cake so much. Today is my moms birthday and she requested three of them for her party. All came out perfect. I wish I could upload pics.
Wow, that is such an awesome review, Ami. That just made my day! Thank you for sharing that with us, feel free to send some photos of your creation on our Facebook page or group next time.
I had tasted a store bought Medovik and wanted to try it myself. I found many recipes but decided to try yours..it was such a massive hit when everyone that tasted it! I work with 2 ladies from Russia they said it’s the best honey cake they’ve tried (they’ve tested many honey cakes)
I have made your cake at least 7 times now, your recipe is flawless and comes out perfectly with your exact instructions. Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Hi Hilary, so wonderful to read your comments and great feedback. I’m glad you decided to try this recipe out of the different options that you have. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi, can I make the layers ahead of time without putting frosting on them and then frost everything 24hrs later?
Hi Margarita, yes that will work great. The cake layers can be made ahead.
is it possible to minus 2 tbsp. flour and use 2 tbsp cocoa instead as well as omiting the honey and use sweetened condensed milk, Sort of a mix between a spartak and medovik?
Hi Farah, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Natasha, thank you for this recipe! I have made it many times and it is always a hit. Everyone in my family loves it and it always goes fast. I will add that i do end up using about 1/2 cup more flour because with 3 cups the dough is still very sticky and hard to work with. Anyway, I Love this cake, it is my favorite after your spartak recipe. 🙂
(PS. currently baking my last layer for this cake as I write this…)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.`
Fantastic recipe! I’d been searching for a Honey Cake recipe for a long time, but most involve water baths etc. Too complicated for my liking! This takes a little time to make, but the results are worth it. I’ve made this cake three times and each time was delicious.
A couple of notes:
* I found that I required 3.5 cups of flour for the dough / batter. 3 was still quite sticky / soft, but an extra half cup gave it the clay-y texture you described.
* The last time I attempted the recipe, I ended up rolling / cutting the circles directly onto floured parchment / baking paper, which I then placed onto a baking tray – this reduced the chance of me stretching out the circular slices by moving them after cutting
* Normal sugar works just as well for the icing – as I found out when I realised at the last step that I was out of icing sugar! It’s a little runnier but still tastes perfect, and when left for a day or two to absorb into the cake layers…yum, yum, yum!
Hello Tim, thank you so much for your wonderful review and suggestions. These are definitely helpful, we appreciate you sharing this with us!
Thank you for this great recipe, i didnt have enough sour cream so I halved the filling and it was still lovely and cakey😍
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! I made a mistake with this cake. I forgot my partners birthday date and made it too early. So I’m wondering if it will be okay after refrigerating for 4 days? Please help! I went to so much effort …
Hi Charlotte, it stays amazing in the fridge for several days (the longest we’ve tested was 4 days), so this is also a great make-ahead cake.
Hi Natasha was just mixing the dough manually and turned out so sticky and hard what do you think i can do or the problem is
Hi Guss, when you measure the flour, are you spooning it into the measuring cup and then scraping off the top? It sounds like it is most likely an issue with the flour measurements. Also, are you making any substitutions in the recipe or using a different kind of flour? Different sized eggs?
I made this for my wife’s birthday, and it was delicious. I didn’t have enough ground-up scraps to cover the entire cake, so I used honey-flavored graham crackers to make up the difference.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us! Happy Birthday to your wife!
Hi Natasha, hope you’re doing well. I need to try this recipe asap! But now total lockdown i’m having problems with finding sour cream.
Is there anything else i can use that isn’t that different or a way i can make at home.
Thank you!!
Hi Gus, you might try the cream from our Chocolate Spartak layer cake or my Vanilla Spartak to see if those ingredients are more readily available.
Hi Natasha, always love making this but the cream comes out too runny at times for me and its difficult to spread – any thoughts on what could be going wrong and what I should be adding to make it more solid/spreadable?
Thanks in Advance
Hi, make sure you are using a thick sour cream. There are some runny varieties and you would want to avoid those.
ah ok cool, didnt even think of that. Thanks so much.
I thought my frosting was too runny too, but it really thickened up after sitting in the fridge.
First time making this cake and it was worth it in the end! The only issue I came across was that my egg started cooking when I poured it into the sugar mixture but I frantically started beating it and it came out fine 😂
I had a couple clumps in the end but I put it through a sift and everything went better after that. Family enjoyed the cake, will be making it again!
Hi Elizabeth, I’m glad you were able to make it work! Thank you for sharing your experience with us and I hope you and your family will love every recipe that you will try.
Hi Natasha, I have an odd one, my husband doesn’t like honey.. I know it doesn’t make sense to make a honey cake without honey but is there any chance I can substitute it with anything else? I mean, I think I know the answer but thought to still ask 🤪
Hello Rasma, I honestly haven’t tried anything else to advise. You can also check out our other cake recipes here.
Made this for my kids today. It was a hit. I had to use like 1/2 cup more of flour for some reason but still your instructions were spot on. Thank you for posting this recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it, Susan!
I have made this cake several times and it has always been a huge hit.
The sour cream filling is the perfect balance for the honey layers.
The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow.
Do that and you will be delighted with the end result as I was.
Ian
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. Made it for New Year’s eve and was a hit! My Russian husband loved it! Its so delicious! Happy New Year from a Russian-Mexican Family living in Italy 🇮🇹 😍
Happy New year, Mariolis! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Pretty easy recipe! First time trying it, I baked my first 2 rounds on parchment directly on center rack if oven and 3 min in they burned! Therefore I was short on cake layers so I whipped up a 2nd batch and ended up with 1- 8 layer cake for New Years and 1- 6 layer cake for us! I didn’t mind but lesson learned I switched to putting on parchment on a baking sheet! Also, I poke the dough with a fork before baking because the first burned 2 were bubbled all over without it. I decorated the sides with crumbs and top left it white with a sugared berry wreath design. It was hard to roll out the dough large enough but I was able to. My rounds were a little off on sizing after cooking. I wonder if next time I cut after its cooked if Quick enough so they are really symmetrical? Looks and tastes amazing! Thank you! Love trying all of your recipes!
Hi Talyn, make sure to bake on regular conventional oven settings and not convection as they definitely shouldn’t be burning after 3 minutes at 350˚F. Also be sure the oven isn’t set on broil. I hope that helps for next time! It’s best to cut before cooking or you risk breaking the cake layer.
Another recipe that turned out perfect on a first try!
I just added a little less sugar, and favored more whipped cream than sour cream (personal preference). I also added prunes into every other layer.
I love Natasha’s recipes – they are always easy and have a lot of options, just makes you want to try it!
I’m so happy you love our recipes! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Have made this cake now 6-7 times, it turns out phenomenal every time. Anyone who has ever tried it, loooves it. Easy, exactly as described, we fight over every last slice. It has very nostalgic ukrainian flavor, love, love, love it!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
Can I bake the cake layers before and then assemble with frosting couple days later?
Hi Viktoria, yes that will work great. The cake layers can be made ahead.
After I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a remark is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any manner you possibly can remove me from that service? Thanks!
Hi Craig, that feature has been turned off on my site for some time so I’m not sure why you would still be getting alerts. There should be a link towards the bottom of one of the emails that says “unsubscribe me”. Click on that and hopefully, that will resolve it.
Made this cake for my birthday and it is delicious!! And it looks so impressive with all the layers 😃 Was just wondering, would it be possible to add the metric units of the flour to the recipe? Where I am from a cup is 250ml, but know that some countries use 240ml. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Thanks for your great feedback, Elaine. You can actually convert this to grams by clicking on Jump to recipe and then click Metric. This Ingedient Weight Chart can also help.
Delicious cake, impressive presentation with all the layers, taste wise was beyond my expectations. I did make some alterations to the recipe such as adding salt and vanilla to the dough, you need the salt to balance out the sweet, gives more of a complex flavor. The dough is extremely difficult to work with, even though i weighed out the flour. I had to roll the dough out multiple times on parchment paper before i was able to get satisfactory layers and even had to stick the dough. I ended up sticking the dough in the fridge and using lots of flour. I docked the layers so it didn’t bubble up and the layers cooked evenly and smoothly. I would only bake this cake again for special occasions given the amount of time needed to make this.
Hello there. Thank you for your comments and feedback, we appreciate it.
Hi Natasha I want to try your Russian honey cake . I don’t get the heavy cream or sour cream at my place . Please advise what to do .Thanks.
Hi Sharol, I always use heavy whipping cream for best results and I always specify to use it in my recipes, I haven’t tested with a substitute to advise.
Hello, I really wanted to make this cake but I don’t eat eggs. What is the best substitute for eggs here to achieve same texture of the dough? Thanks!
Hi Kristine, I haven’t really tried making this recipe yet without eggs so I’m not sure if any substitute will work.
I have been making this for the last two years for the Jewish New Year holiday. It is spectacular and a family must! Thank you. By the way I have kept it in the fridge for a week and it freezes very well.
So nice to know that, Sema. Thanks for sharing that with us!
My Ukrainian husband LOVES when I make this. He was so surprised I made it exactly how he remembers it as a child (despite me never trying it before!) , and said it’s much better than the ones from the Russian stores in Vancouver. I have you to thank!
Wow! I’m so inspired reading this! Thank you for sharing that with me Sumaiyah!
Hi! Are you going to make a video about this cake at some point in the future for your YT channel? Thank you!
Thanks for asking, it really depends but hopefully we can do a video in the future.
Hii..what’s the texture of this cake.is it soft nd spongy or crumble like biscuits.
It is like an icebox cake. The layers are dry when you first frost them but they soften into a spongy texture after refrigeration.
Hi Natasha,
I followed the recipe and put it at 350F for about 5 minutes and the layers were crunchy. I don’t know why. Maybe because the temp? Because all ovens are different maybe 325F would be enough?
Hi Lucy, It is hard to say without being there. There may have been a variance in ingredient measurements when converting or did you possibly use a different type of flour? The dough should form a ball and come together but it still should be very soft and pliable – I don’t know if that helps at all.
The layers come out of the oven crunchy. You then build up the layers of cake and cream mix and leave them for several hours, the longer the better.
I left mine for around 24 hours between preperation and serving, but you don’t have to leave it that long. Preparing the cake in the morning, to serve that evening should be long enough. Preparing the cake immediately before serving, or just before sitting down for the main course, will not be long enough.
The dough is very hard to roll.
Layers are not soft
Hi Joy, I would recommend rolling them before they cool completely and also check out our post on how we measure ingredients. If there is too much flour added, it can make the dough firm.
My 14 year old son became interested in making Russian dishes and saw this recipe. Fun to make! I almost hate to say this but we thought lemon goes so well with honey so we added a little lemon extract to the frosting.😊 We thought it was fantastic. Thank you for sharing your recipes! Looking forward to trying more of them.
Hello Elizabeth, thanks for sharing that with us. I hope that you will love every recipe that you will try!
This is amazing! I made this as a surprise for my boyfriend who grew up in Kazakhstan and loved this when he was growing up! He said he didn’t know how I could make something that reminded him of his childhood when I’d never tasted it before. He ate the whole cake. *^_^* Thank you!
Wow that is so sweet! I’m so glad you tried this recipe for your boyfriend, I’m sure he was so pleased about it!
I live with my Russian boyfriend and his parents and I made this for them yesterday and wow they all loved it so much and said this one is better than any other medovik they have tried. The cake is already gone haha. Thanks so much, I am definitely keeping this recipe and will be making plenty in the future ☺️☺️
I love it, you definitely gave a great impression! Good job!
I made this for my Ukrainian husbands birthday. He LOVED IT.
Hi Sumaiyah, I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for that wonderful review! Happy birthday to your husband!
This was on overall pretty easy recipe to make, thank you for your thorough instructions and photos! Such a delicious cake, definitely making it again!
You are so welcome, Marina. Thanks for your great feedback and review.
I also used just one cup of sugar, instead of two, in the filling. It was plenty sweet for us.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Tanya!
Really well written recipe – thank you. Cake a complete success, even for a novice like me. Really appreciate your tips on technique. Husband said it was “just like in the village“. High praise all around. I used gluten free flour without issue (Orgran brand in Australia). It was hot and humid while I was baking so took a lot more flour than yours, but knowing what I was looking for meant I could keep going with confidence. Дякуємо
That’s so awesome, Tanya! Thank you for that wonderful review.
hiya, i was just wondering if i could drizzle some honey over the top of the crumbs to maybe make it a bit more honey-y? would that ruin it or give it a honey overload?
Hi Amelia, I think that would work if you wanted to use honey over the top for a garnish.
It’s a really good ricepe.thanks a lot
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Late to the game here, but I’ve made this recipe now twice for a Russian friend, and each time it turned out amazing – this is a fantastic recipe. The honey flavor comes through nicely, and the tangy sour cream/whipped cream frosting makes the whole thing sweet without being overwhelmingly sweet like most cakes. After sitting overnight, the rounds softened as described into a soft, moist cake that was loved by all. The only adjustment I made was adding small bits of flour during the mixing until it reached a consistency where it was still a bit sticky but not too sticky to roll out, but otherwise I made it exactly as-is. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Bill! Thank you for that amazing review!
Hey Natasha, what percentage fat should the sour cream be, 14%? Thanks!! Can’t wait to try out your recipe
Hi Milan, we used the daisy brand sour cream we have a photo on the recipe of it. I believe it has 8% fat.
Hi Natasha
Can you tell me exactly how many hrs to refrigerate
Will it be ok if I make a cake at
11:am
And serve it by 10:pm
Hi Hina, that should work fine. I would suggest letting it sit at room temperature for about an hour before refrigerating for the frosting to soften the layers quicker and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Please tell me what i did wrong. I took the sugar butter mixture off the burner … it was on low … i added the beaten eggs and kept mixing … but as soon as the eggs hit the sugar the sugar turned into hard candy with chunks in the eggs … it never incorporated and my dough came out dry and hard to work with … total failure
Hi Liza, you ant to make sure you take the sugar mixture completely off the burner in step 2 since if the mixture is too hot, it can cause the eggs to curdle. Also, be sure the eggs are beaten before adding them and add then in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Add the eggs in a thin stream for them to temper and incorporate correctly without cooking the eggs and turning them into scrambled eggs. Although not completely necessary, it may also help to get the eggs to room temperature. I’ll make that note in the recipe. I hope that helps to troubleshoot the issue.
Hii… My cake is crispy… I don’t know why it happened… Pls help me…
Hi, that is normal and you will need to let it rest overnight for the layers to absorb the frosting and then it softens.
Do you think I can use honey with whipping cream instead of powdered sugar? Thank you.
Hi Hiba, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Can you tell me how much is 32oz sour cream in gm? Can I use cream cheese instead of sour cream?
I would not advise using cream cheese. 907 grams of sour cream
I rolled out the dough 9″ in diameter,but after baking, it was only about 71/2. What did I do wrong?
Zoe
Hi Zoe, I share this with someone earlier I hope it helps “just make sure you roll the layers out until they aren’t springing/shrinking back. So, Don’t put the plate on to trace until you can see that the layers aren’t shrinking back after you roll them out. This is also why it helps to flour your board; if it gets stuck to your board, it can get miss-shappen when you’re trying to pry it off. I hope that helps! Were they drastically different in size? Some of mine were slightly different in size, but nothing that frosting couldn’t fix”
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making it for my cousin’s bday.
I wanted to ask if I could make the layers the day before and put the icing the day after? Can i put the layers in the fridge first or is it okay to store them in room temp.
Thank you!
Hi Aian, You’ll want to frost the cake the day before and then refrigerate overnight for the layers to soften. You can make the cake layers on Monday, that’s perfectly fine. They turn out like cookies after they cool to room temperature so you just need to put them in a plastic bag and leave them in the pantry until you’re ready to frost them.
*not the scraps, rolled out dough
Made this cake first time on 4th of July, everyone loved it. Making it again. Never thought honey cake is so easy to make! Thank u, Natasha for the recipe. I have a good tip, saw it on YouTube. Pierce scraps with a fork before putting them in the oven to prevent bubbles. 😉
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha,
I have not baked the cake yet, but I am wondering what type of honey do you use? A light or strong one?
Hi Judith, the honey we buy is usually light/medium in color. It will affect the color of the cake but just about any honey should work fine.
I made this last year for my girl’s 5th birthday party . Guess what, last night we had my son’s party and while everyone what enjoying the buttermilk rainbow cake and your vanilla cupcakes with your cuisine frosting a lot of people asked me if I remember that Honey cake I made last year! They said it was so delicious and nothing they have ever tried before ( we are in Melbourne ) 😀thank you!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Vika! I love hearing that!
Sorry I just saw i my phone made some auto corrects that don’t make sense lol
Hello Natasha! This recipe calla for baking soda. I only have baking powder right now. Would that work ok?
HI Natalie, baking soda is about 3 to 4 times stronger than baking powder so there would be adjustments needed but I haven’t tested that.
Hello Natasha. I recently received a honey cake recipe from long lost relatives in Ukraine. However the recipe calls for I glass of honey! Do you have any idea what measurement that would be here? Thanking you for any help.
Hi Barbara, we used 1/4 cup of honey for this recipe. Without knowing the proportions of your other recipes I wouldn’t be able to advise.
The soviet stakan aka “glass” is 200ml which is a little less than a cup.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for the recipe.
Is the Sour cream necessary for this recipe?
Hi Safaana, I haven’t tried a substitution so I can’t say for sure how it would change the flavor. I think it would work with a thick yogurt, like a whole fat Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt would probably be too loose. I hope that helps
I made this cake for my husbands birthday. WE LOVED IT. How long does it stay fresh in the refrigerator?
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Julie! I would store it in the fridge since the frosting is dairy based and it will hold up for 3-5 days. Also, I recommend keeping it covered in the refrigerator so it does not absorb food smells.
I cannot wait to try this recipe-I’m here in NYC and went to a Czechoslovakian restaurant for dinner-dinner was great but we had Apple strudel (my favorite) and honey cake for dessert!! I have never had honey cake before- it was absolutely delicious ! I can’t wait to make it!!!
I hope you love it Anne!