This is a sweet, smooth, and simple cake that will hit the spot after any meal.
This is one of my favorite tastes from childhood. I haven’t made it much lately because the original recipe is complicated, and I usually don’t have the patience to deal with it. Traditionally, this cake has 5-7 layers of dough, and the stickiness makes it very difficult. So this recipe is my simplified version that keeps the taste, but skips the hassle. For the pictures, I used unbleached white flour because that’s all I had in the house at the time, but I’ve also made it with my favorite organic whole wheat pastry flour and it’s just as good.
Cake Ingredients
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Frosting Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- Raspberries or pomegranate seeds for serving (optional)
Method
Set a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Add butter and honey to the bowl, whisking until butter is melted.
Add 2 beaten eggs, whisking until everything is well-mixed.
Add sugar and whisk until dissolved (about 3-5 minutes).
Add making soda and whisk until mixture is thick and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Remove bowl from heat. Once the bowl has cooled enough for you to handle without burning (about 10 minutes or so), add flour, about 1/2 a cup at a time, whisking until well-mixed. The dough will be on the sticky side.
Prepare your baking dish. I’ve used a 9″x9″ square pan lined with parchment paper and a 9-inch round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Pour the dough into the baking dish and level it.
Refrigerate for 40-60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 340°F. Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. With an electric mixer, beat the butter for about a minute.
While the mixer is running, add sweetened condensed milk. Beat until everything is mixed well. The consistency will be a little on the runny side.
Once the cake is done, let it cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Using a fork or toothpick, poke holes all around the cake so the frosting can seep into it.
Pour the frosting over the cake. The hotter the cake is when you ice it, the more the cake will absorb the frosting. The more you let it cool, the more icing will be left on top of the cake.
Now comes the hardest part: waiting. Let the cake sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). Do not refrigerate this cake under any circumstances: the butter will harden and the cake will get and stay dry. I learned this the hard way.
Serve with raspberries or pomegranate seeds (or just by itself; it’s sweet enough on it’s own).
Приятного аппетита! (Priyatnova appetita! Russian for ‘Bon Appetit!’)
I am a follower of Christ, wife of a pastor, mother of a strong-willed little boy, and native of Russia. In addition to cooking and baking, I enjoy drinking coffee and relaxing on the beach.