Traditional Ukrainian Honey Cake Recipes

CLASSIC HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Melt the honey, 50g of butter, 1 glass of sugar on the water bath. Continuously stir and make it sit melted for 5 mins until it is fully combined. Add the soda, and stir for one minute more.
• 2. Set aside the honey batter from the water bath and let it cool for 2-3 mins. Add 2 eggs, stir quickly with a whisk, and then add 350g of flour so far the eggs aren't curdled. Stir the pastry well and then put in into the freezer.
• 3. Put the pastry out of the freezer; divide it into 8 parts of the same size. Shape every piece in a ball and put them into freezer one more time. Heat oven to 200C.
• 4. Put one ball out of the freezer, roll it out on the flat work surface dusted with flour. It should be shaped as a thin circle.
• 5. Use the bottom of the round plate of spring form pan to trace a circle of pastry. Remove the trimmings and set them aside.
• 6. Line the baking tray with baking parchment, put the pastry on it, and round it with pastry trimmings. Bake for 3-5 mins.
• 7. Meanwhile the one layer is in oven, you should make the second one and prepare it to be baked. Make the 8 more layers. Put them aside and cool.
• 8. Combine half of a glass of milk, 1 egg, a glass of sugar, and 30g of flour. Bring the remaining milk to the boil. Pour the warm milk into the egg batter, and stir it well. Cook the cream until it is dense.
• 9. Add the vanilla sugar to the cream, stir and set aside from heat. Add 50g of soften butter, and whip the cream with whisk. Cool the cream.
• 10. Poke the pastry layers with forks therefore they will soak in the cream better. Spread the cream (2-3 tablespoon for every layer) over the pastry layers, and put them one upon one. Generously coat the top and every side of the cake with cream.
• 11. Crumble the pastry trimmings up. Sprinkle the top and sides of the honey cake with them.
• 12. Put the honey cake in a cool place for a night (at least 8 hrs).

RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Pour honey into a deep saucepan over medium heat. Boil until a shade darker and caramel-like in aroma, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (such as Silpat®). Place a mixing bowl and a whisk in the refrigerator.
• Place a large metal bowl over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Add butter, sugar, 1/4 cup of the burnt honey, and regular wildflower honey. Let sit until butter melts, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Whisk butter mixture and let sit until very warm to the touch. Whisk in eggs. Keep mixture over low heat until it gets very warm again; whisk in baking soda mixture. Remove from heat. Sift in flour in 2 or 3 additions, stirring well after each, until batter is easily spreadable.
• Transfer about 1/2 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an 8- or 9-inch circle using an offset spatula. Shake and tap the pan to knock out any air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove liner from the pan and let cake layer continue cooling until firm enough to remove, 6 to 7 minutes. Invert cake onto a round of parchment paper.
• Repeat until you have a total of 8 cake layers, letting each cool on an individual parchment round. Trim edges using a pizza wheel to ensure they are the same size; save scraps for crumb mixture.
• Spread remaining batter onto the lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into small pieces; toss with reserved cake scraps.
• Return to the oven and continue to bake until browned, 7 to 10 minutes more. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a resealable bag and beat into fairly fine crumbs using a rolling pin. Set aside.
• Remove the bowl and whisk from the refrigerator. Pour in heavy cream. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add remaining burnt honey and sour cream; continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
• Place a cake layer on a parchment paper round on top of a pizza pan or serving plate. Spread a cup of frosting evenly on top, almost to the edge. Repeat with cake layers and frosting, pressing the layers in smooth-side down. Place last cake layer smooth-side up. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Cover with crumbs; clean any excess crumbs around base.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, to overnight. Transfer to a cake stand using 2 spatulas. Cut and serve.

UKRAINIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time.
• Beat until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the honey.
• Sift the flour with the other dry ingredients; add in alternately with the sour cream.
• Stir in the walnuts.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.
• Bake in a greased tube pan at 325 degrees F for 50 to 55 minutes, or until done.
• Lower the heat to 300 degrees F in the final stages of baking to prevent the honey from burning.

UKRAINIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F, and butter and flour a 7" cake pan.
• Beat honey until frothy. Add eggs, flour and baking powder.
• Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes and check the cake. When done, it will shrink slightly from the pan. Continue baking for 5 minutes if it isn't ready yet. (continue if it needs more time).
• Turn it out of the pan while still hot, and let cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container for a day before serving.

UKRAINIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Bring honey to a boil, then cool it.
• Sift flour with baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Cream butter with sugar.
• Add the honey.
• Beat the egg yolks and add to the honey.
• Add the flour mix alternatively with the coffee mixture.
• Stir in the nuts.
• Beat egg whites stiff and fold into the batter.
• Pour into greased bread mold.
• Bake 325F 50-60 minutes.
• Unmold and cool well.