Equipment
Ingredients
Honey Biscuit Dough
- 115 g honey, liquid
- 115 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 10 g baking soda
- 450 g all purpose flour, sifted
- 3 g salt
Sour Cream Frosting
- 700 g sour cream, cold
- 300 ml heavy cream, cold
- 120 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the honey, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar. Whisk gently until the butter is completely melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then pour them into the warm honey mixture in a slow, steady stream while continuously whisking to ensure the eggs temper and do not scramble.
Whisk the baking soda into the warm mixture. The reaction between the baking soda and the acidic honey will cause the mixture to rapidly foam, turn pale, and double in volume. Once expanded, immediately remove the bowl from the heat.
Remove the bowl from the heat and gradually fold the sifted all purpose flour and salt into the foaming honey mixture using a spatula, stirring until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Turn the warm dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into eight equal portions, roughly 105g each. Cover the portions with a clean kitchen towel so they do not dry out and harden as they cool.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Working with one dough portion at a time, roll it out directly onto a piece of parchment paper to form a 20cm (8-inch) circle, rolling it approximately 2mm thick. Prick the entire surface generously with a fork to prevent large bubbles from forming during baking.
Transfer the parchment paper with the rolled dough onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the biscuit turns a deep caramel color.
Immediately upon removing the baked layer from the oven, place a 20cm cake ring or plate over the hot biscuit and trace around it with a knife to cut a perfect circle. Leave the trimmed scraps on the parchment. Transfer the perfect circle to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat rolling, baking, and trimming for all eight layers.
Gather all the baked dough trimmings, place them back on a baking sheet, and toast them in the residual oven heat for 5 minutes. Once completely cool and brittle, pulse them in a food processor or crush them in a sealed bag using a rolling pin until they become fine sandy crumbs.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cold heavy cream and sifted powdered sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the cold sour cream and vanilla extract until the frosting is entirely uniform, smooth, and holds its shape.
Place the first cooled honey biscuit layer on a serving platter. Spread a generous, even layer of the sour cream frosting over the biscuit, bringing it right to the edge. Repeat this alternating process of placing a biscuit layer and frosting until all eight layers are stacked. Use the remaining frosting to generously coat the top and sides of the entire cake.
Take the reserved crushed biscuit crumbs and gently press them into the frosting covering the top and sides of the cake until the entire surface is evenly coated.
Transfer the finished cake to the refrigerator to chill and set for a minimum of 12 hours. This resting period is strictly necessary; it allows the dry biscuit layers to absorb moisture from the frosting, transforming them into a soft, melt-in-the-mouth cake texture.
Chef's Notes
- Using a high fat sour cream is essential. The tangy flavor balances the sweet honey layers perfectly, and the fat content prevents the frosting from splitting into a liquid mess.
- Do not skip the 12 hour overnight resting period. The magic of Medovik occurs in the refrigerator as the crisp biscuit layers absorb the moisture from the sour cream frosting, magically turning into a soft, sliceable cake.
- A deeply flavored, dark honey like buckwheat or chestnut will yield a much more robust, caramelized flavor profile than mild clover honey.
- Rolling the dough directly on the parchment paper you intend to bake it on prevents the delicate, thin dough circles from tearing during transfer.
- Don't worry if your biscuit layers bake up quite hard. They are supposed to resemble large cookies or crackers straight out of the oven. The frosting performs the softening work.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Keep tightly covered in a cake dome to prevent absorbing fridge odors. Cake becomes softer and more cohesive each day.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze whole or in slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
