Easy Honey Cake with Custard
This easy honey cake is a simpler take on classic medovik. Instead of rolling out the layers, the soft batter is spread onto parchment with a spoon, then baked and layered with smooth homemade custard.
Updated : 20 October, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Sponge cake
350 grams
Wheat flour
150 milliliters
Honey
3
Eggs
100 grams
Sugar
100 grams
Butter
2 teaspoon
Baking soda
Cream
500 milliliters
Milk
1
Eggs
150 grams
Sugar
35 grams
Wheat flour
100 grams
Butter
Decorating
50 grams
Walnut
50 grams
Chocolate
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Start with the custard, as it will need time to cool. Prepare the ingredients and take the butter out of the refrigerator in advance so it can soften.
Step 2
Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Crack in the egg, then add the sugar and flour.
Step 3
Whisk the egg, sugar and flour until smooth. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking thoroughly after each addition to prevent lumps, until all the milk is incorporated.
Step 4
Place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. As soon as the first bubbles appear and the custard thickens considerably, remove it from the heat. Leave to cool until warm.
Step 5
Add the softened butter to the warm custard and whisk thoroughly until completely incorporated.
Step 6
The custard should be smooth and glossy. Cover it directly on the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate while you prepare the cake layers.
Step 7
Prepare the ingredients for the honey cake layers. Choose a flavorful natural honey, such as blossom or linden honey.
Step 8
Crack the eggs into a heatproof bowl and whisk lightly. Add the sugar, butter and honey. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Step 9
Heat the mixture gently, stirring constantly, until smooth and evenly combined. Keep the water at a gentle simmer.
Step 10
Remove the bowl from the heat, add the baking soda and stir. The mixture will become paler and increase in volume.
Step 11
Gradually add the flour, mixing first with a whisk and then with a spoon as the batter thickens. The finished dough should remain soft and spreadable rather than firm enough to roll out.
Step 12
Preheat the oven to 355°F using conventional top and bottom heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon part of the batter onto the parchment and spread it into a circle slightly larger than 8 inches in diameter and about ⅕ inch thick.
Step 13
Bake the layer for 6–8 minutes, until golden. It will rise noticeably during baking. While it bakes, spread the next portion of batter onto another sheet of parchment.
Step 14
Remove the baked layer from the oven and immediately replace it with the next one. While still warm, trim the baked layer into a neat circle using a plate as a guide. Reserve the scraps for crumbs. Continue until all the batter is used. The original recipe makes 3 trimmed 8-inch layers, or 4 thinner ones.
Step 15
Once the cake layers have cooled, spread each generously with the chilled custard.
Step 16
Cover the top and sides of the assembled cake with custard as well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
Step 17
Spread the reserved cake scraps on a baking sheet and dry them briefly in the oven.
Step 18
Crush the dried scraps into fine crumbs using a rolling pin or blender.
Step 19
Coat the top and sides of the cake with the crumbs.
Step 20
For decoration, you can use walnuts and chocolate. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan if desired. Dark, milk or white chocolate will all work.
Step 21
Chop the walnuts using a mortar, blender or knife.
Step 22
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the top of the cake.
Step 23
To make the chocolate decoration, place the chocolate pieces in a sturdy piping bag or food-safe bag. Pour boiling water into a saucepan and let it cool to about 140°F. Place the bag of chocolate in the hot water and gently massage it until the chocolate melts completely.
Step 24
Remove the bag from the water, snip off a small corner and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the cake.
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