Ukrainian Honey Cake
Serves 10
30 mins prep
20 mins cook
50 mins total
Eight thin layers of honey-flavored cake coated with a tangy sour cream-based frosting and honey cake crumbs.
Cake
Frosting
Get ahead
Cake layers and frosting can be made in advance. This cake needs to sit overnight before serving.
Prepare equipment
Prepare a strip of acetate at least 3 inches wide and 20 inches long. Fit it inside an adjustable cake ring cutter or 6-inch ring cutter. Tape the ends of the acetate to make a ring. Set this over a cake stand or large plate.
Prepare two sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Make the cake layers
Combine honey, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar granules are melted. Be careful not to burn the mixture. This can take 5-10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove mixture from heat and slowly stream in beaten eggs while whisking constantly. Add baking soda and salt, whisking until thoroughly combined.
Add ½ cup of flour at a time and mix until a dough forms. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out a piece with a rolling pin on a floured surface and use a 6-inch ring cutter to punch out a circle. Repeat with remaining dough pieces, saving scraps in a pile as you go. Bake two or three at a time on a sheet pan for 3-5 minutes, until golden.
When done, transfer circles to a cooling rack to cool completely. Bake all of the scraps scattered on a sheet pan for 3-5 minutes. Let scraps cool completely, then blitz them in a food processor or crush them in a bag with a rolling pin. You’ll use these to garnish the cake later.
Make the frosting
Whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Whisk together sour cream, vanilla and powdered sugar. Add whipped heavy cream. Fold with a rubber spatula until combined.
Assemble the cake
Place a large spoonful of frosting in the bottom of your acetate + cake ring mold. Take the first cake layer and place it atop the frosting. Spoon a generous amount of frosting over the layer. You want to be generous with the frosting as this cake will sit overnight and the cake layers need to soak up frosting to become soft.
Repeat with remaining layers. At this point, I advise placing the cake in the fridge overnight to soften and set up to increase your odds of a more structurally sound cake. (However, some people make this cake without a mold and frost it on the sides too before placing it in the fridge overnight. You decide what is best for you.)
The next day, unmold the cake. Frost the sides and smooth with an offset spatula or bench scraper.
Pat cake crumbs onto the sides of the cake. Slice and enjoy.
