Medovik

Medovik is a Russian layer cake made from thin honey-flavoured sponge layers stacked with a cream filling and crumb coating. It is one of the best-known cakes in Russian home baking and in cafés across the country.

What it really is

The classic medovik is built from several very thin layers of honey dough made with butter, eggs, sugar, flour and honey, with baking soda often used as the raising agent. Each layer is baked separately and is thin enough to be almost crisp at the edges. The layers are stacked with a filling of sour cream and butter, sometimes sweetened with condensed milk, and the whole cake is then soaked and left to rest so the layers soften.

The cut trimmings of the layers are usually crumbled and pressed onto the sides and top of the cake. This crumb coating is the feature that distinguishes medovik from other honey cakes, and it is also what most people remember about the dish. Versions with a heavier cream, or a cake made from layers that are not honey-based, are not medovik in the classic sense.

How it's served

• Served at room temperature or chilled, in slices, usually with tea or coffee.
• Commonly eaten as a dessert at family gatherings, birthdays and holidays.
• Sold by the slice or as a whole cake in Russian bakeries and cafés.
• The soaked layers are soft, so the slices are eaten with a fork.

How to write it on the menu

• Write as Medovik (Russian honey cake) with the key ingredients: honey, butter, eggs, flour and sour cream filling.
• State that the cake contains wheat, eggs, milk and may contain other nuts or traces; the classic version has no nuts.
• Name the variant: classic with crumb coating, or a version with a different cream or fruit layer.
• Give the portion as a slice and state whether it is made in-house.