Medianyk (Honey Cake)
Submitted by coffeespoon
Medianyk is a traditional Ukrainian honey cake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whipped egg whites give it a light, airy crumb despite all that honey.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minMedianyk is a honey cake from the Ukrainian and Eastern European baking tradition, made with nearly a pound of honey and a warm blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s the kind of cake that fills the kitchen with the smell of a spice market while it bakes.
What keeps this from being a dense, sticky brick is the egg technique. The yolks are creamed into the butter for richness, but the whites are whipped stiff and folded in separately. That folding step traps air throughout the batter, giving the finished cake a surprisingly light crumb for something so heavy on honey.
The dry ingredients get sifted twice, which matters here. Double-sifting distributes the spices evenly through the flour so you don’t get hot spots of clove or ginger in any one slice. The batter goes into a loaf pan, and after about an hour in the oven, the top should be firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
Like most honey cakes, this one tastes better a day or two after baking. The honey keeps it moist and the spice flavors deepen as it sits.
Pro Tips
- Bring the eggs to room temperature before separating. Cold whites don’t whip to full volume
- Fold the whites in two stages: a small scoop first to lighten the batter, then the rest gently to keep the air
- Grease and flour the loaf pan well. Honey batter sticks aggressively
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out. Any sooner and the cake may crack
Variations
- Orange medianyk: Add the zest of one orange to the batter for a citrus note that brightens the spices
- Walnut studded: Fold in chopped walnuts for crunch, a common variation in Ukrainian baking
- Glaze: Drizzle cooled cake with a thin honey glaze (warm honey thinned with a splash of lemon juice)
Ingredients
Directions
Cream the butter and separate the eggs.
Add the room temperature yolks, one at a time, to the butter and beat well.
Mix in the honey. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices twice and add to the butter mixture.
Whip the egg whites until stiff.
Fold a little of the egg whites into the batter, then add the rest of them, folding them gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into a guttered and floured loaf pan.
Bake in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven until firm on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Cool, in the pan, for 10 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.
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