Kievsky aka Kiev Cake Recipe

How to Make the Byuze/ Beze/ Meringue:

1. Line a 9x13 non-stick cake pan with wax paper. Melt 1 Tbsp butter and brush the top of the wax paper with butter.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, over high-speed, beat 6 egg whites and 1 1/3 cup of sugar together for about 6 minutes, or until stiff peaks form (see picture). It will be white and fluffy.
3. Spread the egg whites evenly into the cake pan lined with wax paper. Bake at 250˚ F for 4 hours and 10 minutes. When the time is up, remove from oven and peel off the wax paper. Set on a tea towel and cool to room temperature. The Meringue can be left on the counter overnight, covered with a dry tea towel.

How to Make the Russian Sponge Cake Beskvit:

1. Preheat the Oven to 350˚ F and line 1 non-stick cake pans with wax paper. Use a (13x9) non-stick pan.
2. First, separate egg whites from yolks. Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together 8 yolks, 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Add 1 cup of flour until well blended.
3. In a large bowl, beat 8 egg whites on high-speed until they foam and are about 3-4 times in volume (about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes). Don't beat too long or you will begin to lose volume.
4. Use a spatula to gently fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites until well combined. Don't mix too much or you will lose volume. The batter should have a fluffy texture.
5. Place the batter into the lined cake pan and bake 22 minutes until the top is golden.
6. As soon as the cake is done, turn the cake out onto a clean surface and peel off the wax paper. This is much easier to do while the cake is still very warm. Use a knife to remove rough edges. Let cakes cool to room temperature.

Assembling the Cake: (note: for maximum crunchiness of the meringue layer, this cake should be eaten the same day it is assembled).

1. Drain the apricots reserving the syrup. Mix all of the syrup ingredients (drained apricot syrup, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp sugar) together until sugar dissolves. Puree Remaining Apricots in a Blender.
2. Slice the cake evenly into two layers. Place the first cake layer(with the cut side up) on the dish you will be serving it on. Once you put the syrup on, it will be very difficult to move it.
3. Pour half the syrup evenly over the first cake layer and spread half of the apricot puree over it.
4. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting evenly over the puree. Click here for Russian Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe that I used.
5. Set baked meringue over the cake and trim it to fit evenly over the biskvit cake. Reserve Crumbs for the top of the cake. Place the meringue on top of cake and spread frosting over the top.
6. Place the second cake on top of the meringue . Pour the second half of syrup evenly over the second cake and spread the rest of the apricot puree on the top.
7. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
8. Crush the meringue crumbs and Sprinkle them all over the cake. It helps to hold a spatula next to the side of the cake as you sprinkle crumbs to keep more of them on the cake. Or you can use a fine mesh sieve if you have one for more even distribution. You may need to tilt the cake a little to cover the sides, just do this cautiously.