Russian Honey Cake Medovik with Sour Cream Frosting

Medovik starts with cooking the honey dough. In a bain-marie or a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the honey and sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the baking soda and stir vigorously, the mixture will foam and lighten. Leave to cool slightly for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs to the honey mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually stir in the sifted flour and work into a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Divide into 8-10 equal portions, wrap in cling film and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Roll each portion directly onto baking paper into a thin round (about 22-24 cm in diameter). Bake each layer for 5-7 minutes until golden. While still warm, trim to the desired shape using a plate or template, keep the trimmings. Leave the layers to cool completely.

Mix the sour cream with the icing sugar and whisk until smooth and thick. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.

Place the first layer on a cake stand and spread with a layer of frosting (about 3 tablespoons). Repeat with each subsequent layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the sides of the cake so it is evenly coated.

Blitz or crush the trimmings into fine crumbs and coat the entire cake, top and sides. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. The layers will soften, the flavours will meld and the cake will be ready to serve.