Medovik - Russian Honey Cake

Making the Cake Layers

1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F).
2. Place the honey, sugar, and butter in a large saucepan on low heat and let them melt together, stirring occasionally for about five minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lightly beaten eggs to the mixture gradually while continuously whisking to avoid ending up with scrambled eggs.
4. Stir in the vanilla paste and baking soda, and then add the sifted flour.
5. Fold the flour into the honey mixture using a spatula to form a soft and slightly sticky dough.
6. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and start rolling them out on a lightly floured surface.
7. Roll one of the dough balls into a 23 cm (9") circle. Using a bottom of a cake pan, trim it with a paring knife to make the circle perfect. Reserve the extra scraps for later to use decorating the cake.
8. Transfer the dough circles to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake two at a time at 200° C (350° F) preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or until golden.
9. Place the cooked pastries on a wire rack to let them cool down before assembling the cake.
10. Repeat the same with the remaining dough balls.
11. Spread the scraps on a baking sheet and bake them until crispy and golden brown. Let them cool down and proceed to make the frosting.

Preparing the Frosting

1. Place the double cream (heavy cream) in a large bowl and beat it until it forms stiff peaks.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and sour cream.
3. Gently fold the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture until nicely combined.

Assembling the Honey Cake

1. Place a layer of pastry on a serving plate and spread 2 large spoonfuls of frosting evenly. Gently press while placing another layer of pastry on top.
2. Repeat the same with the remaining pastries and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
3. Place the baked dough scraps in a food processor and blitz them into fine crumbs.
4. Decorate the top and sides of the cake with crushed crumbs, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight before serving.
5. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts and some red berries just before serving.