Russian Cake “Muraveinik” (Anthill Cake)

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I struggled to accept this Russian Muraveinik cake into my life. I fought against it and gave my husband a hard time for pushing to make it. He remembered having it from childhood. Hopefully it will bring back memories for some of you as well.

The cake didn’t seem very cute and the concept of an “anthill cake” was strange to say the least. Then I tried it. My sister, Svetlana also tried it and I wish to quote her: “That cake is bomb. It’s like a delicious cookie, coffee cake, scone, and biscotti in one. The poppy seeds give it a nice toasted flavor!” I agreed with her.

This Muraveinik is perfect with your morning coffee or evening tea. Enjoy this oddity of a cake. It does taste wonderful and, when sliced, I have to admit it is a little glamorous.

Ingredients for Muraveinik:

3 cups Canadian flour, sifted *measured correctly
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp poppy seeds for decoration

Muraveinik Cream Ingredients:

3 sticks butter at room temperature
1 can cooked sweetened condensed milk (click on the link for the how-to)
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

How To Make Cake Muraveinik (Муравейник):

1. Sift 3 cups of flour into a large bowl and mix in butter using hands or Kitchen Aid paddle attachment until combined and crumbly. Add a pinch of salt

2. Beat 1 egg and 1 cup sugar in a small bowl with a whisk until pale yellow and well combined. Add to the flour mixture and stir with paddle attachment or spatula until well combined. Mixture should still be crumbly.

3. Pour vinegar over baking soda in a small dish and give it a quick stir. Immediately mix with sour cream and let it sit for 2-5 minutes. Pour sour cream mix into the flour mixture. Add more flour if needed to make sure that dough is not runny. It should be the consistency of cookie dough.

4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to harden.

5. After 1 hour, break the dough into smaller pieces and feed it through the meat grinder using the large hole meat grinder attachment. Put dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to separate the strings of dough on the baking sheet. The more you spread it out on the dish, the easier it will be to break it into pieces later.

Note: if you don’t have a meat grinder attachment, divide dough into 4 parts, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, then grate your dough with a hand grater.

6. Place prepared dough in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 min at 350˚ F.

7. Remove from the oven, and let the cookies cool, then break them into small pieces. Place broken cookies in large mixing bowl and toss in chopped hazelnuts.

8. To make the cream, use an electric hand or stand mixer to beat softened butter until fluffy, then beat in cooked condensed milk until smooth. Pour cream over the cookie mixture. Mix everything together well.

9. This mixture makes one large or two small “anthills”. We made 2. Divide the dough in half. Form each mound or “ant hill” by firmly patting down the cake as you mold it. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, cover with plastic wrap and place the cake in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Serve cold with tea… or coffee and store it in refrigerator:D

Russian Cake "Muraveinik" (Anthill Cake)

5 from 14 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

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Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Ingredients 

Servings: 10

• Ingredients for Muraveinik:
• 3 cups Canadian flour, sifted
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds for decoration

Cream Ingredients:

• 3 sticks butter at room temperature
• 1 can cooked sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

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Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl combine together 3 cups of sifted flour with 1 stick of butter until combined and crumbly. Add pinch of salt.
• Beat 1 egg and 1 cup sugar in a small bowl with a whisk until pale yellow and well combined. Add to the flour mixture and stir with paddle attachment or spatula until well combined. Mixture should still be crumbly.
• Pour vinegar over baking soda in a small dish and give it a quick stir. Immediately mix with sour cream and let it sit for 2-5 minutes. Pour sour cream mix into the flour mixture. Add more flour if needed to make sure that dough is not runny. It should be the consistency of cookie dough.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to harden.
• After 1 hour, break the dough into smaller pieces and feed it through the meat grinder using the large hole meat grinder attachment. Put dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to separate the strings of dough on the baking sheet.
• Place prepared dough in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 min at 350° F.
• Remove from the oven, and let the cookies cool, then break them into small pieces. Place broken cookies in large mixing bowl and toss in chopped hazelnuts.
• To make the cream, use an electric hand or stand mixer to beat softened butter until fluffy, then beat in condensed milk until smooth. Pour cream over the cookie mixture. Mix everything together well.
• Divide the dough in half. Form each mound by firmly patting down the cake as you mold it. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, cover with plastic wrap and place the cake in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Serve cold with tea... or coffee and store it in refrigerator:D

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian

Keyword: Muraveinik" (Anthill Cake)

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $