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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Comments

  • sajina
    December 31, 2014

    i tried your honey cake .. i substitite condense milk and wheaping cream.i dont know what is sour cream. iam in uae.but the cake look like that but didnt turn SOFT..i fan of you.. natasha..i have honey cake from a bakery in uae. i try it but fidnt turn soft

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 1, 2015

      It’s probably because you didn’t use sour cream. The sour cream really softens the cake and is necessary in the frosting. The condensed milk and whipping cream would probably taste great but the cake or prunes wouldn’t easily absorb it.

      Reply

      • sajina
        January 2, 2015

        thank u for you advice. can u please specify which heavy cream u sed..do u know any brand of heavy cream and sour cream available in uae? please advice

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          January 2, 2015

          Unfortunately, I have no idea which products and brands are available there. Sorry I can’t be much help with that. I use the Daisy or Darigold brands. Also, with the heavy whipping cream, in the US it has 36-40% milk fat.

          Reply

  • Vika
    December 28, 2014

    Thank you so much for this recipe. The dough was very easy to work with. The balance of taste and texture was exceptional. After trying so many Medovik cakes in the past I must say yours is the best !!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 28, 2014

      I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you so much Vika 🙂

      Reply

  • Alyonka
    December 24, 2014

    I made this cake for my husbands birthday and everyone loved it. Thanks so much. Love the step by step instructions.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 24, 2014

      I’m so happy you all loved it! Thank YOU so much for the great review 🙂

      Reply

  • Silviya
    December 23, 2014

    This recipe is great! Every time I made it it turned out tasty and the perfect amount of sweetness which I love. I was just wondering if I can make bigger cake layers with these measurements or would I have to double the recipe? Thanks for your great recipes!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 23, 2014

      I’m so glad you like it! If you wanted wider layers, you’d end up with less layers so for a larger cake in general, yes, I’d recommend increasing the recipe.

      Reply

  • Neetu
    December 15, 2014

    Hello! I tried a different recipe that used baking powder for the batter and condensed milk for the frosting. The cake layers were still not soft enough and tasted more like cookies. Also wasn’t happy with the frosting as it tasted like custard. I haven’t tried your recipe but I just wondered if the layers and as soft and moist as a cake would be?

    Look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 15, 2014

      The cake layers need time to soften overnight and they are soft the next day. This cake isn’t meant to be eaten the same day it’s made because, yes, the layers are more like cookies until they absorb some of the frosting. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂 You might also check out the chocolate and vanilla spartak cake recipes that I have posted. The chocolate one also has a video tutorial.

      Reply

  • Olya
    December 11, 2014

    I just came across your blog the other day and fell in love with it – great job on the cooking and on the presentation!!! I am trying to cut down on sugar and find that 2 cups of powdered sugar is quite a lot for the icing – do you think it will work if I half the amount of sugar? ( I mean the consistency, not the taste – I am used to less sweet cakes and baking by now). Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 12, 2014

      Thank you so much for the compliment 🙂 I think it should still work, but if it does see too thin, just add a little more.

      Reply

  • Jordan
    December 11, 2014

    Just curious, how would using the traditional double boiler change the recipe and, if at all, the end result? This cake was my absolute favorite when I lived in Riga, Latvia, so I would like the final product to be as authentic as possible. Thanks for posting this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 11, 2014

      You can still use a double boiler. My spartak cakes require a double boiler (it prevents the mixture from scorching and keeps the cooking temperature even), but this recipe does not require a double boiler. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

  • abbas el hajj ahmad
    December 4, 2014

    Hey Natasha,I am a chef Abbas from Lebanon i work in Lebanese and Armenian restaurant…..I have made your honey cake recipe but with a simple modification in cake … i add little corn oil to the dough to come easy when i need to open and make . and about the cream i add the honey syrup and icing sugar and whipping cream and labna (sour cream) and mix ….
    and For decoration and presentation honey wax and caramel sauce …
    Thank you very much to your recipe Which won the admiration of customers

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 4, 2014

      I’m so happy to hear that you and your customers enjoyed the cake! Thank you so much for sharing your modifications. If you posted a picture of it online somewhere, I would LOVE to see it! Thanks again 🙂

      Reply

      • abbas el hajj ahmad
        December 5, 2014

        ok i will send the some picture to your email

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          December 5, 2014

          awesome! It’s natasha (@) natashaskitchen.com (no spaces, and no parenthesis).

          Reply

  • Melana
    November 28, 2014

    Great recipe, thank you. Made for thanksgiving with my russian family and they were all raving about it. Definitely a signature cake in my house going forward!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 28, 2014

      I’m so happy to hear that! Than you Melana 🙂

      Reply

  • Terri
    November 25, 2014

    Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband and I made it for a friendly food contest with some friends last weekend and we won. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 25, 2014

      That is so great! Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂 Congrats!

      Reply

  • Alona
    November 17, 2014

    Hi Natasha,
    I’ve loved your recipes and have made many of your desserts. I loved the chocolate Spartak cake! I have not yet tried this recipe. I have a crowd to make dessert for this weekend, which one should I chose?! Chocolate or honey!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 17, 2014

      Chocolate 🙂 That’s my very favorite. 🙂

      Reply

      • Alona
        November 17, 2014

        Thank you! You’re the best. C’Bogom

        Reply

  • Tanya
    November 10, 2014

    I just made this last weekend for a dinner party, and it was a hit! A few comments on the recipe for other bakers– I did need more than 3.5 cups of flour to make the dough workable. It was just so sticky that I couldn’t roll it out without adding the extra flour. But the layers turned out all right, so don’t worry if you need more flour than the recipe calls for. One thing I would try next time would be to place a flat cake pan over the dough to keep the layers flat while baking– mine puffed up a bit and they didn’t go down again after coming out of the oven, which made my cake uneven.

    The frosting was the perfect amount of sweetness to go with the cake layers– it was a tiny bit runnier than the frosting in the picture (I also used Daisy full fat sour cream), but once the crumbs went on the outside you couldn’t really tell. After it had soaked overnight it firmed up just fine (the liquid must have gone into the cake).

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 10, 2014

      Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

      Reply

  • Tanya I
    October 28, 2014

    Thanks for another great recipe! The cake turned out Delicious and pretty easy to make.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2014

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the great feedback! 🙂

      Reply

  • Bunny
    October 18, 2014

    One word to describe it : beautiful .

    Thank you soooo much

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 18, 2014

      Thank you Bunny for your sweet compliment 🙂

      Reply

  • Lina
    October 9, 2014

    I love honey cakes ans I made them before. I lost my regular recipe so I tried this one and the cake looked very bad. Sour cream made the frosting very runny even after refrigerating and didn’t keep the cake stable so it came out all crooked, runny and very sad looking. It tasted good though! I will have to find my previous recipe and stick with it. But I love other recipes from this web that I have tried, they were all great!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 10, 2014

      I’m so bummed it didn’t turn out. What kind of sour cream did you use? I know the Canadian/ Russian store version is much runnier than the US version that I buy and use for this cake.

      Reply

      • Lina
        October 16, 2014

        I used full fat Daisy sour cream. I will definitely use the recipe for layers because those turned out great! But next time I’ll substitute sour cream with heavy cream and will add some lemon for sourness. In Lithuania (where I am from) I always used homemade sour cream (non-pasteurized) and it always worked wonders. I guess it’s just store bought sour cream doesn’t work well. But thank you for your response! And I love your recipes, I tied quite a few since I discovered your web. 🙂

        Reply

  • Ellissa
    October 3, 2014

    I wanted to depart from the more traditional, dense honey cake for Erev Yom Kippur and put this together. I love that it called for ingredients I always have on hand and, while I haven’t tried the final product just yet, I can’t wait to see how it all came together. (However, I did dip a leftover piece of the scrap dough into the frosting and it’s incredibly delicious.) My cake is fairly wonky looking and think next time, I might try to make smaller individual cakes as the layers could so easily be cut out with a cookie cutter.
    Thank you for sharing your recipe and thoughtful directions and photographs. I’m excited to share it with my family!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 3, 2014

      Thank you so much for your great feedback! I sure appreciate it :). Once the cake sits for awhile, it’s so soft and lovely. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

  • Hems
    September 30, 2014

    Hi Natasha, I tried it today.. And it was just awesome. Thank you so much! I have a question about sour cream. Any substitute for it? thank you.

    Reply

  • Vicki
    September 21, 2014

    So making it!!!
    Rosh-ha-Shanah (Jewish New Year) is next week and it is a tradition to have a honey cake. Was looking for a good and easy Medovik recipe. Will report back next week!
    BTW – absolutely in love with your website!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 21, 2014

      This one is very good and if you haven’t tried the prune honey cake; the texture and flavor is also fantastic! https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/12/26/prune-honey-cake-recipe/

      Reply

      • Vicki
        September 27, 2014

        It came out amazing!!! Everyone loved it and my hubby said this is his new favorite!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          September 27, 2014

          That is fantastic! Thanks for the great review :). I’m so happy you and your hubby enjoyed it.

          Reply

  • Sophie
    September 15, 2014

    Hi, this looks beautiful and I plan to attempt it next week. I have a few quick questions-
    1. Is it possible to bake two or more layers at one time? If so, how should I adjust my baking time and temperature?
    2. Any tips for icing the sides? I have a really hard time icing the sides of my layer cakes. The frosting or icing always runs down and doesn’t cling to the cake. So they always taste great, but look less than ideal.
    3. Finally, if I wanted like to incorporate nut flour into the cake for flavour and a bit more healthfulness, how would you recommend that I do that? How much almond meal to substitute in? And does that affect baking time?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 15, 2014

      You can bake 2 or 3 layers at a time on the same rack (if they fit). My mom does this by using the bottoms of 3 springform molds or you can use a cookie sheet under them that is large enough to hold all three. Keep the baking time and temps the same. The icing, if you follow the instructions exactly, should not run down the sides. It’s a soft frosting but not runny. The crumb part is the part I struggle with most. If you have a sheet of parchment paper under the cake when you do this part, it helps to flick the crumbs up onto the frosted cake with the sides of the parchment paper. I haven’t tried any kind of nut flour so I can’t really recommend it without testing it myself. Sorry I’m not more helpful with that question. Hope that answer helps 😉

      Reply

  • Lodhi
    August 29, 2014

    Hi
    I tried the recipe I faced some problems hopefully you may help
    The layers were soft when I baked them – but as soon as I got them out they hardened a little . I baked them for 5 min Max.
    and I applied alot of sour cream more the your recipe but it didnt soften as the honey cakes should be.
    Mine was still a bit crunchy. though it tasted yum

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 29, 2014

      How long did you wait for it to soften before cutting into it?

      Reply

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