Medovik Belarus
Belarusian Medovik is the kind of cake I always turn to when I want something layered, with an intense honey and cream flavor. I’ve gotten used to making it a few times a year, whenever I have the patience to roll out the sheets. The recipe isn’t very complicated, but it has a few steps that are worth taking one at a time, without rushing. If you have a few free hours and some time to let it chill overnight, it’s not hard to manage. Quick Info Total time: approximately 24 hours (including overnight chilling time) Preparation time: 60-80 minutes for sheets, cream, and glaze Baking time: 4 x 5 minutes for sheets (20 minutes total) Servings: 12-16 slices Difficulty: medium Recipe type: layered dessert, suitable for special occasions or when you want a more substantial cake Ingredients The sheets: 1 egg 40 g butter 150 g sugar 450 g flour 2 tablespoons honey (about 60 g) 3 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon baking soda The cream: 1 kg sour cream 32% fat 400 g granulated sugar 2 tablespoons instant coffee (Nescafé) The glaze: 150 g dark chocolate 100 g white chocolate 100 g butter 3 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon powdered sugar Preparation method 1. Preheating the oven Preheat the oven to 200°C. Prepare the sheet pan with a little butter and flour, but don’t put it in the oven yet. 2. Dough for the sheets In a large bowl (ideally stainless steel, glass, or enameled), place the egg, sugar, honey, butter, and baking soda. Mix until the mixture is fairly uniform. Place the bowl over a double boiler. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon. Keep it over steam until the sugar completely melts and the mixture thickens to a consistency similar to sour cream. Remove the bowl from the heat. Add all the flour at once and mix until no dry flour is visible. You will obtain a fairly dense but still warm dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface. Knead quickly, just enough to make it homogeneous. Divide it into 4 equal parts. 3. Baking the sheets Take each piece of dough and roll it out into a thin sheet, approximately 23 x 30 cm. The sheets are easier to work with while warm. Place each sheet on the back of a greased and floured baking tray. Bake each sheet separately at 200°C for about 5 minutes. They should not take on too much color. Remove the sheets and let them cool on a rack or on paper. 4. Coffee sour cream In a large bowl, combine the sour cream and granulated sugar. Mix gently, not with a mixer, just with a spatula or spoon, until the sugar dissolves and the cream becomes thicker. Dissolve the instant coffee with a few drops of hot water, just enough to make a paste. Mix the dissolved coffee into the sweetened sour cream. Divide the resulting cream into three equal parts. 5. Assembling the cake Place a piece of plastic wrap in the tray where you baked the sheets, making sure to leave some wrap over the edges so you can cover the cake later. Place the first sheet in the tray. Spread one-third of the cream over it, continue with the second sheet, cream, the third sheet, cream, and finish with the last sheet. Cover the cake with the edges of the wrap and place the tray in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or, ideally, overnight. 6. Preparing the glaze After the cake has softened well overnight, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan with a double bottom, place the butter and oil over low heat. When the mixture is completely melted, take a quarter of the amount and put it in another small bowl. In the main pot, add the broken dark chocolate, and in the separate bowl, add the white chocolate. Both should be placed over a double boiler until melted, stirring continuously. Let the glazes cool for a few minutes, then spread the dark chocolate glaze over the cake. You can add the white glaze on top. Why I make this recipe often I love that this cake keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. The sheets absorb the cream, and everything becomes tastier with each passing day. It’s practical for when I have guests or want to make dessert in advance. Plus, there’s no need for complicated techniques or special utensils. Tips and variations Tips The sheets are easier to roll out while the dough is still warm. If it cools and hardens too much, let it sit for 1-2 minutes near the stove, not in the oven. When spreading the cream, don’t press too hard so as not to break the sheets. For the glaze, use quality chocolate. It will make a difference, especially in the final texture. Substitutions If you can’t find 32% sour cream, you can use one with 30% (25% works too, but the final texture will be softer). Instant coffee can be omitted if you don’t want a coffee flavor. The cake will be more subtle, just with a honey taste. White chocolate can be replaced with milk chocolate, but the result will be sweeter. Variations For a different flavor, you can add a little vanilla to the cream. You can sprinkle ground nuts between layers if you want a bit more texture. The glaze can be made only from dark chocolate or, if you prefer, you can create patterns with both types of chocolate. Serving ideas It cuts best with a thin-bladed knife, passed through hot water and dried. It works well as a dessert at family meals, especially after a day in the refrigerator. Frequently asked questions What kind of sour cream should I use for the cream? Sour cream for whipping with 32% fat works best. Don’t use liquid sour cream or low-fat ones, or the cream will be too soft. Can I bake all the sheets at once? No, the sheets are baked one by one on the back of the tray to be thin and not stick together. Can the cake be frozen? I do not recommend freezing, as the sour cream changes texture when thawed. It keeps best in the refrigerator and should be consumed within a few days. Can I omit the coffee? Yes, if you don’t want a coffee flavor, you can leave the cream simple with sour cream and sugar. How can I cut the sheets to exact size? You can use a ruler and a sharp knife to trim the edges after baking while the sheets are still slightly warm. Nutritional values (approximate) One slice (from 14) has approximately: Calories: 400-450 kcal Protein: 5-7 g Fat: 25-28 g Carbohydrates: 40-45 g The values are approximate, as they vary depending on the exact ingredients and how much glaze you put on each slice. The cake is high in fats and sugars, typical for desserts with sour cream and chocolate. Storage and reheating Keeps well in the refrigerator, covered with wrap, for 3-4 days. The sheets become more tender after the first day. It is not suitable for reheating and I do not recommend keeping it at room temperature for more than a few hours. It does not store well in the freezer.
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