cake recipe at home: Russia and Germany’s Medovik and Bienenstich

Honey cakes are delicious desserts that have been cherished for centuries across various cultures. Honey is one of the primary ingredients, which acts not just as a natural sweetener but also gives a rich aromatic flavor. In this blog, we will learn honey cake recipes from Russia (Medovik) and Germany (Bienenstich). Recreate these cake recipes at home and leave your friends and family licking the plates clean. These cakes also make for a great birthday surprise idea for sister or for your spouse.

Medovik

Ingredients:

For the burnt honey:

• 100 g honey
• 2 tbsp cold water

For the cake:

• 85 g honey
• 30 g burnt honey
• 67 g light brown sugar
• 80 g cubed, salted butter
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 340 g flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp salt 

For the sour cream frosting:

• 380 g heavy cream
• 160 g sour cream
• 50 g burnt honey
• 20 g light brown sugar
• 20 g toasted and chopped hazelnuts 

Instructions:

• In a saucepan, add the honey and let it caramelize on medium heat. In around 8 to 10 minutes, it will begin smoking and become a deep amber color.
• At this point, remove the saucepan from heat and add cold water. Set it aside in a warm place so it doesn’t harden.
• For the cake, preheat the oven to 190 C.
• In a bowl, add honey, around 30 g of the burnt honey, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. You can either microwave this or melt and cook the butter using the double boiler method. Don’t forget to mix well.
• Beat the eggs in another bowl and set aside.
• Sift the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
• Incorporate the eggs into the honey-butter mixture, and then slowly add the dry ingredients as well.
• You should achieve a dough that is thick and sticky. Divide it into four portions of 174 g each.
• Place one portion on parchment paper, then cover it without another piece of paper. Roll it out to 3 mm thickness.
• Grease a 15 cm cake ring with oil and cut out two circles from the dough.
• Place the circled in the pan and let it bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Repeat the process of cutting out the dough and baking with all of the other pieces of dough. You will finally achieve 8 layers.
• If there are any extra trimmings, bake them until crisp for around 5-6 minutes and then pound them into a crumb.
• Add all the ingredients for the frosting and whip until creamy. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
• Begin frosting the cake by placing the first layer on a cake stand.
• Repeat until all the layers are frosted.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake with the frosting as well.
• Use the trimming crumbs to decorate the top and sides of the cake. 

Bienenstich

Ingredients:

• For the cake: 210 g flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 57 g melted butter
• 75 ml milk 

For the topping:

• 113 butter
• 5-7 tbsp honey
• 1 ½ tbsp whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80 g sliced almonds 

For the filling:

• 400 ml whipping cream
• 3 tbsp vanilla pudding powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Instructions:

• Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a bowl.
• Add the melted butter, milk, and egg to it as well.
• Mix until you get a sticky dough. Keep kneading until the dough is not sticky at all. This will take a few minutes.
• Cover the dough with a kitchen towel, and let it rest and rise for around half an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 176 C.
• Then make the honey almond topping by adding honey, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to a saucepan.
• Once the butter has completely melted, mix and add the whipping cream to this. Remove from the saucepan and add the sliced almonds.
• Place the parchment paper in an 8x8 inch cake tin.
• Press the dough to the bottom of the pan and prick the dough several times using a toothpick or a fork.
• Pour the honey topping you just prepared over the dough and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Let the cake cook in the pan for around 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.
• Then slice the cake into two layers.
• As the cake cools, prepare the filling by whipping the cream along with the vanilla pudding powder and vanilla extract.
• Add the filling between the two layers, then refrigerate.

When ready to serve, cut into even slices.