Russian Layered Cake Recipes

15 LAYER RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Beat eggs well with sugar; add baking soda and liquid honey (warm).
• Melt the margarine/butter in a casserole or pot; add the mixture (margarine should not be too hot).
• Put the casserole on a low heat, add the flour while mixing and mix until the mass is without lumps (the mixture will be very thick and very hard to stir). Remove from heat and cool.
• Dip the dough in flour, divide, roll each layer very thin (1-2mm), cut circles as round as possible (approx 18cm diameter), and bake at 180°C for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown in colour; repeat with remaining dough and allow to cool before assembling.
• Beat sour cream, sugar and honey until the sugar dissolves-the mixture will still be fairly liquid.
• Coat each layer with a generous layer of cream; assemble the cake, coat the sides with cream and sprinkle top and sides with crumbs and ground walnuts. Allow to set at least 6 hours before eating.

RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Trace circles around a 9-inch pie or cake pan onto 12 baking-sheet-size pieces of parchment paper. Set aside.
• Make a water bath: Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch of water, and set over medium heat.
• Place 3/4 cup of honey in a 2-quart saucepan, and set over high heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium. After about 3 minutes, the honey will begin to foam intensely. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, keep a close eye on the honey. Cook until it begins to smoke, then turn off the heat and carefully add water. Allow the honey to sputter until it stops bubbling. Whisk to combine, and pour into a heatproof measuring cup with a spout, then place in prepared water bath to keep honey liquid.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water, and bring to a simmer. Combine 1/4 cup burned honey, 3/4 cup honey, sugar and butter in a large metal mixing bowl, and place over the pot of water.
• Crack eggs into a small bowl, and set aside. Stir together baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon sea salt and cinnamon in a separate small bowl.
• When the butter has melted, whisk the honey mixture to combine. Use your finger to test the temperature of the mixture. When it's warm, add the eggs while whisking. When the mixture returns to the same temperature, add the cinnamon mixture, and continue whisking for another 30 seconds. The batter will begin to foam and emit a curious odor. Remove the bowl from the heat, and allow it to cool until it's warm.
• Place the flour in a fine-mesh sieve, and sift over the batter in three batches, whisking to incorporate the flour completely with each addition. The batter should be completely smooth. The batter will spread more easily when it's warm, so pour half into a small bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot, such as atop the preheating oven.
• Place a piece of parchment tracing-side-down on a baking sheet, and spoon in a heaping 1/3 cup of batter. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the batter to the edges. It will seem like just barely enough batter; do your best to get the layer even and perfectly circular. Repeat with remaining layers until you're out of pans, and then continue with remaining batter and parchment sheets, laying batter circles out on a flat surface. You'll end up with 11 or 12.
• Bake as many layers at a time as possible, for 6 to 7 minutes, until the cake turns a deep caramel color and springs back at the touch. For the first round, set the timer for 4 minutes to rotate pans if needed to ensure even cooking. Check the cakes again at 6 minutes. Do not overbake!
• When each layer is done, slide the parchment off the pan to prevent overbaking. If reusing baking sheets while they are still hot, reduce cooking time to 5 to 6 minutes.
• When the cake layers are cool enough to handle, examine them. If any spread outside the traced circles as they baked, use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to trim them. Before the cakes cool entirely, pull each one carefully from the parchment, then place back on the parchment on a flat surface, and allow to cool completely.
• When all the layers are baked, reduce the oven temperature to 250, and allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes. Return the least attractive layer (or 2, if you got 12) to a baking sheet, and place in the oven to toast until deep reddish brown and dry, about 15 minutes. Allow it to cool, then use a food processor to grind into fine crumbs. Cover and set aside.
• Place 1/2 cup burned honey, dulce de leche and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt into a medium bowl. Whisk by hand until combined, then slowly pour in 3/4 cup cream and mix until homogeneous. Chill until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.
• Pour 4 cups heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer, and affix whisk attachment. Whip at medium speed to soft peaks, about 6 minutes, then add honey mixture and whip frosting to medium stiff peaks. If your mixer holds less than 5 quarts, make frosting in 2 batches and then combine in a large bowl, or use a large bowl and a hand mixer.
• Assemble the cake on a 10-inch cardboard circle or flat serving plate. Place a cake layer in the center of the cardboard, then spoon a heaping cup of frosting onto the center. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch ring unfrosted around the edge. Place the next layer atop the frosting, center it and continue as above. Don't be afraid to manhandle the cake to align the layers as you continue stacking. If necessary, make up for any doming in the center by spreading more frosting to the outer half of each layer than the inner half. After you place the 10th layer, spread another scant cup of frosting over the top. Use any leftover frosting to smooth out the sides of the cake, but don't fret if the edges of some cake layers poke through the frosting. Sprinkle the top and sides with cake crumbs.
• Chill overnight. Serve chilled. Cake can be made up to two days in advance. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

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.

RUSSIAN LAYERED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Beat sugar and eggs together in a bowl using an electric mixer for 5 minutes.
• Sift flour and baking soda together in another bowl. Beat into the egg and sugar mixture gradually, alternating with sour cream, until a smooth batter forms. Divide batter equally between 3 bowls.
• Fold walnuts into the first bowl, raisins into the second bowl, and poppy seeds to the third. Pour each bowl into its own separate cake pan.
• Bake cakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pans for a few minutes. Remove from pans carefully; let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
• Beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add condensed milk slowly, mixing with a fork or spatula in a clockwise motion. Spread a couple of tablespoons of buttercream onto a large cake plate.
• Place one of the cakes onto the butter cream on the cake plate. Spread another few tablespoons buttercream over the cake and lay another cake on top. Repeat with the remaining cake and cover top and sides with remaining buttercream. Decorate as desired.

RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• To make the icing, put the honey into a small pan and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until it turns a couple of shades darker, and stop just before it starts to smoke. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in 150ml of the double cream and the sea salt. Pour this mixture into a small bowl, cover and chill until fully cooled.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and line with baking paper as many baking trays as you can fit into the oven at one time. Draw a 23cm-diameter circle on the back of each piece of paper - this will act as a template for the cake layers.
• To make the cake layers, put the butter, honey and sugar into a large pan, and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat or until everything is melted and the mixture is bubbling and smelling toasty. Remove the pan from the heat and put aside to cool slightly, then pour into a bowl.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Put the eggs and vanilla extract into a jug and whisk briefly. Begin whisking the butter mixture, slowly pouring the eggs into the bowl (make sure you do whisk as otherwise the eggs could cook). Add the dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon until fully combined. The finished result will resemble a slightly softer and more pliable gingerbread dough.
• Working while the dough is still a little warm, divide into 8 equal portions, putting aside and covering with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Working with one piece at a time, put a ball of dough onto one of the prepared pieces of baking paper, lightly flour and roll until they are very thin and just a little bigger than the template. Trim back to the 23cm circle and put the trimmings aside. Once you have rolled out as many as you can fit in the oven at once, bake for 8-9 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch and browning slightly around the edges. The finished cakes will be like gingerbread biscuits but with a little more flexibility. Slide the discs onto wire racks to cool and continue until all the discs are baked. To finish, bake all the scraps on a baking-paper-lined tray for 10-12 minutes or until fully dried out and a little crisp, plus a shade darker than the discs.
• To finish the icing, remove the honey mixture from the fridge and mix in the dulce de leche and the soured cream. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining double cream until it just holds soft peaks, then fold in the honey mixture. The final texture should not quite be soft peaks, it should still be a little fluid.
• To assemble, sandwich the honey cake layers with a little of the icing and then spread the remainder over the top and sides of the cake. Chill the cake in the fridge overnight so that the moisture in the filling can soak into the layers - this is essential to give the finished dish a more cake-like texture.
• When ready to serve, put the scraps of cake into a food processor and pulse until crumbs. Use them to cover the top and sides of the cake.

RUSSIAN NAPOLEON CAKE (NAPOLYEON TORT)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar together until creamy.
• Fold in the sour cream, stiffly beaten egg whites, vodka, and salt.
• Gently fold in the flour, a spoonful at a time, until the dough is soft and pliable. You might not need all of it.
• Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 to 2 hours to make it easier to roll out.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F and butter a baking sheet and dust with flour.
• Divide the pastry dough into 10 pieces. Roll out each portion of dough, one at a time, directly on the prepared baking sheet into a very thin 8-inch circle.
• Bake each circle of pastry until golden brown, about 6 to 10 minutes. If dough bubbles as it cooks, pierce with a fork.
• As each layer is cooked, remove from the sheet pan and set aside to cool on a wire rack. Repeat until all dough pieces have been baked.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Pour the milk into a large saucepan and heat, but do not boil.
• In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks, egg white, and sugar until creamy.
• Add 6 tablespoons flour and mix well.
• Pour this mixture into the warm (but not scalding hot) saucepan of milk, stirring initially with a whisk until smooth and then with a wooden spoon, constantly over low heat until thick and creamy.
• Add the butter and vanilla and stir until smooth.
• Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Stir frequently as the mixture cools.
• Place one layer of the cooked dough in the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan and cover evenly with a layer of cooled custard filling.
• Continue to build up the cake in this way, layering the custard on top of the pastry, finishing with the 9th pastry layer.
• Crumble the 10th and final pastry and layer over the top of the torte. Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours.
• When ready to serve, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake, remove the springform ring, and, using a cake lifter or two spatulas, carefully transfer to a serving platter.
• Use an electric knife to get nice, clean cuts and serve.
• Enjoy!