Medovik
{{Short description|Russian/Ukrainian layer cake}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Medovik
| image = Honey cake Medovik.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Medovik
| country = Soviet Union
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| main_ingredient = Flour, eggs, sugar, honey, smetana or condensed milk
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Medovik ({{langx|ru|медови́к}} {{IPA|ru|mʲɪdɐˈvʲik|}}; from {{lang|ru|мед}}, 'honey', {{langx|uk|медовик}} [medovyk]) is a layer cake popular in countries of the former Soviet Union. The identifying ingredients are honey and smetana (sour cream) or condensed milk.{{Cite book |author-last=Goldstein |author-first=Darra |authorlink=Darra Goldstein |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-199-31339-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbi6BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA584 |page=584}}
The dessert, famous for its lengthy preparation time, consists of layers of sponge cake with a cream filling and is often covered with nuts or crumbs made from leftover cake. While the thin layers harden shortly after coming out of the oven, the moisture of the filling softens it again over time.{{cite web|title=8-Layer Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)|url=https://natashaskitchen.com/8-layer-honey-cake-recipe-medovik/|website=Natasha's Kitchen|language=en|date=9 March 2014}} There are many recipes and variations of this cake, but the main ingredient is honey, giving it its characteristic taste and flavor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rednumberone.com/russian-honey-cake-medovik-recipe/|title=Russian/Ukrainian Honey Cake - Medovik recipe|last=Ion|first=Larisa|date=2018-06-03|website=RedNumberONE|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-23}}
Origins
According to Russian tradition, the cake was created in the 19th century in the Russian Empire by a young chef who sought to impress Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna, wife of Alexander I.{{cite book|last1=Hollywood|first1=Paul|title=The Weekend Baker|date=2016|publisher=Penguin}} Empress Elizabeth could not stand honey and any dish made with it. One day a young new confectioner in the imperial kitchen, unaware of the empress's dislike, baked a new cake with honey and thick sour cream. Surprisingly, and unaware of the honey content, Empress Elizabeth immediately fell in love with it.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rbth.com/russian_kitchen/2017/03/24/russias-most-irresistible-honey-trap-medovik_726656|title=Russia's most irresistible honey trap: Medovik|date=24 March 2017|website=Russia Beyond The Headlines}}
Despite this legend, medovik is not mentioned in any of the 19th-century Russian cookbooks. The first recipe for medovik is found in the 1957{{Cite book |last=Хименко |first=І. С. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6wHbNqnrLEkC |title=Українські страви |date=1957 |publisher=Derz︠h︡avne Vydavnyt︠s︡tvo Tekhnichnoï Literatury URSR |language=uk}} and 1960 book "Ukrainian Dishes" published in Ukrainian in Kyiv.{{Cite news |last1=Syutkin |first1=Pavel |last2=Syutkin |first2=Olga |date=23 July 2022 |title=Medovik: Russia's Famous and Mysterious Honey Cake |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/07/23/medovik-russias-famous-and-mysterious-honey-cake-a78387 |access-date=2024-11-18 |newspaper=The Moscow Times |language=en}} Medovik gained its intense popularity during the Soviet era.{{cite web |last1=Hassaan |first1=Emaan |date=13 March 2025 |title=Medovik Russian Honey Cake |url=https://emaanskitchen.com/medovik-russian-honey-cake/ |website=Emaan's Kitchen |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Mosko |first1=Alexey |date=7 January 2016 |title=Medovik: The tsar of Russian cakes |url=https://www.rbth.com/multimedia/video/2016/01/07/medovik-the-tsar-of-russian-cakes_556109 |url-status=live |website=Russia & India Report |language=en-IN |access-date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=27 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227214629/https://www.rbth.com/multimedia/video/2016/01/07/medovik-the-tsar-of-russian-cakes_556109 }} Today, there are numerous variations of medovik: with condensed milk, buttercream or custard.
Similar recipes
File:Marlenka.jpg|date=10 April 2020 |language=ru|access-date=28 February 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://mzv.gov.cz/yerevan/en/economic_relations/marlenka_returns_to_armenia.html|title=Marlenka returns to Armenia|date=6 May 2024|website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic)|access-date=28 February 2025}}]]
Desserts similar to medovik are also popular in other Eastern and Central European countries. There is the Czech medovnik,{{Cite web |last=Kupská |first=Petra |date=2022-05-26 |title=Medovnik Czech Honey Cake |url=https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/medovnik-recipe/ |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=Cook Like Czechs |language=en-US}} Lithuanian medutis{{cite book |last=Zak |first=Zuza |title=Amber & Rye: A Baltic Food Journey |year=2021 |publisher=Interlink Books |isbn=978-1-62-371900-5 |page=212}} and the Polish miodownik. In Bulgaria, medovik is mostly known under the name "French village cake".{{Cite web |last=Lambova |first=Daniela |date=2022-11-21 |title=Medovik |url=https://daniscookings.com/medovik/ |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=Dani's Cookings |language=en}} Ukrainian medivnyk is cooked without the cream.
See also
References
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