The classic recipe doesn't use syrup to soak the Medovik cake layers. They're already quite moist thanks to the butter. Adding extra liquid will only make the dough soggy and less flavorful.

However, there are now many recipes that omit eggs, butter, and other ingredients. Such Medovik cake bases can be quite dry. In this case, you should use a soaking agent to prevent the cream layer from completely soaking into the dough.

Sugar impregnation

Recipe with step-by-step photos

Sugar syrup for soaking the sponge cake

By using a basic syrup of water and sugar before the cream, you achieve several goals. The layers will become moist and acquire a more pronounced caramel flavor. But you won't have to worry about the classic honey cake flavor being altered. It will still be the same Medovik, but moister and softer. Light lemon notes will only enhance the original flavor of this famous dessert.
Nutritional value per serving
141.4 kcal
  • Proteins: 0.1 g
  • Fats: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.9 g
*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients
  • Total time:
  • Time in the kitchen:
  • Complexity:
    It will work even if you're making it for the first time. Not just this dish, but your first time ever.
  • Number of servings: 1

Ingredients

Servings
  • Sugar
    600 G
  • Water
    250 ml
  • Lemon (slice)
    1 pcs
  • Citric acid
    0.25 tsp

Preparation

Step 1

Place the sugar in a saucepan and add water. Immediately add a lemon wedge.

Step 2

Place on the stove and turn on medium heat. Start stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3

Stop stirring and bring the syrup to a boil. At this point, add the citric acid and quickly stir until completely dissolved. Cook for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Step 4

Pour the syrup into a glass container that can withstand high temperatures.

Step 5

The sugar syrup for the cake is ready. Remove the lemon wedge and let it cool to room temperature before using.

Video: 3 Cake Soak Options

This video features versatile impregnation recipes. As a professional pastry chef, Polina demonstrates the entire preparation process and offers tips on how to use them.

The mint and berry infusions that the author primarily demonstrates are hardly a standard solution. For making a classic honey cake at home, the last milk syrup recipe is best.

Orange impregnation

Recipe with step-by-step photos

Orange impregnation for sponge cake

When you're making Medovik for the first time, you're bound to want to tweak and improve the recipe. However, tinkering with the grams isn't the best idea. You can completely change the texture and flavor of the dessert. Instead, soak the cake layers in orange syrup. It will preserve the original bright orange color of the cake base while perfectly complementing the honey-cream flavor of the dessert. This is a great solution for your first baking experiments.
Nutritional value per serving
176 kcal
  • Proteins: 0 g
  • Fats: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.1 g
*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients
  • Total time:
  • Time in the kitchen:
  • Complexity:
    It will work even if you're making it for the first time. Not just this dish, but your first time ever.
  • Number of servings: 1

Ingredients

Servings
  • Orange juice
    150 ml
  • Sugar (or powdered sugar)
    150 G
  • Water
    100 ml
  • Cinnamon
    1 pcs

Preparation

Step 1

Peel the oranges, being careful not to touch the white part between the peel and the pulp. This is where the bitter part is, which can make the infusion taste less than ideal. Then cut the oranges in half.

Step 2

Juice the citrus fruits using a regular hand juicer. If the slits are too wide and orange seeds fall into the juice bowl, strain the juice through a sieve.

Step 3

Place the orange zest in a saucepan. Add sugar, a cinnamon stick, and half the water. Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick you want the sauce to be. If necessary, add the remaining water halfway through the cooking time.

Step 4

Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring with a spoon. This will take 2 minutes.

Step 5

Now add the orange juice and the remaining half of the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 minutes over medium-low heat.

Step 6

Strain the mixture, removing the zest and cinnamon using a slotted spoon. Or, to speed up the process, pour everything into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve.

Step 7

Prick the hot sponge cake with the tines of a fork and spread the impregnation evenly over the surface.

Condensed milk impregnation

Recipe with step-by-step photos

Impregnation for sponge cake made from condensed milk

This soak is very simple and quick to make. It will enhance the creamy flavor of the custard or recreate it if you're using a choux pastry layer between the layers. A small amount of cognac will add new, interesting notes to the dessert. However, keep in mind that this recipe retains the alcohol. If you want it to evaporate completely, simmer the cognac for a couple of minutes before mixing it with the condensed milk.
Nutritional value per serving
160.7 kcal
  • Proteins: 2.1 g
  • Fats: 7.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients
  • Total time:
  • Time in the kitchen:
  • Complexity:
    It will work even if you're making it for the first time. Not just this dish, but your first time ever.
  • Number of servings: 1

Ingredients

Servings
  • Condensed milk
    380 G
  • Water (boiling water)
    200 ml
  • Cognac
    15 ml

Preparation

Step 1

Measure out the required amounts of ingredients. Bring the water to a boil on the stove or in an electric kettle. This will help soften the taste of the alcohol and make it easier for the condensed milk to dissolve.

Step 2

Combine cognac with water.

Step 3

Stir quickly to distribute evenly.

Step 4

Pour hot water into a bowl with condensed milk.

Step 5

Mix until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Step 6

The condensed milk soak is ready. Use it for a cake 24-26 cm in diameter. Or pour it into a jar, seal it with an airtight lid, and refrigerate until ready to use. Stir again before use to ensure the soak is uniform.

Lemon impregnation

Recipe with step-by-step photos

Lemon Soak for Sponge Cake

In the first basic sugar syrup, lemon acts as a thickener and can be omitted entirely. In this soak, the citrus flavor becomes the primary one. As a result, it will be much more pronounced in the cake. This is an excellent soak for unusual variations of Medovik, which use fruit or berry fillings instead of butter or custard. Lemon will complement the flavor of each of them and also soften the cloying sweetness.
Nutritional value per serving
78.6 kcal
  • Proteins: 0.2 g
  • Fats: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients
  • Total time:
  • Time in the kitchen:
  • Complexity:
    It will work even if you're making it for the first time. Not just this dish, but your first time ever.
  • Number of servings: 1

Ingredients

Servings
  • Sugar (or powdered sugar)
    100 G
  • Water
    300 ml
  • Lemon
    1 pcs

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the water and sugar and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. To speed up the process and prevent caramelization at the bottom, stir everything with a spoon. Then simmer the syrup over medium heat for 15 minutes, maintaining a simmer.

Step 2

Grate the zest using a fine-hole grater. Then cut the citrus in half and squeeze the juice from each half. Remove any seeds that may have fallen into the bowl.

Step 3

Combine the reduced syrup with the lemon juice and zest. Stir gently with a spoon or spatula. Cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat, maintaining a simmer.

Step 4

Let the syrup steep for 3-5 minutes. Then strain through a sieve to remove the zest.

Step 5

The lemon infusion is ready. Use it according to the planned recipe only after it has cooled completely. To speed up the cooling process, pour it into a glass container.

Creamy impregnation

Recipe with step-by-step photos

Creamy impregnation for sponge cake

Another good option for a honey cake with custard. Instead of milk or condensed milk, regular cream is used as the base for the soak. It's best to use the thinnest cream with a fat content of 10%. Thicker cream won't soak well into the cake layers. Unlike other syrups, the creamy soak is best used immediately. It doesn't boil, so it can be stored for up to 3 days after you make the honey cake.
Nutritional value per serving
72.1 kcal
  • Proteins: 0.2 g
  • Fats: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients
  • Total time:
  • Time in the kitchen:
  • Complexity:
    It will work even if you're making it for the first time. Not just this dish, but your first time ever.
  • Number of servings: 1

Ingredients

Servings
  • Cream 10%
    100 ml
  • Powdered sugar
    2 tbsp

Preparation

Step 1

Pour 10% cream or any other alternative you like into a bowl.

Step 2

Add powdered sugar and flavoring, mixing well until evenly distributed and lump-free. It's best not to use sugar, as it will take a long time to dissolve.

Step 3

The creamy impregnation is ready. Use it to moisten white and chocolate sponge cakes or desserts.

Flavor combinations with honey

I won't dwell on classic combinations like honey with cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, or the aforementioned lemon. As you experiment with Medovik flavor combinations, you can try more exotic variations:

  • lime;
  • cranberry;
  • apple;
  • mango;
  • black currant;
  • dark chocolate;
  • hazelnut or peanut butter, praline.

These ingredients can be added to the cream filling or used for cake decoration. In the latter case, you can decorate individual pieces of the dessert with different toppings according to the classic recipe, and then choose the ones you like best.

Pay attention to the type of honey

For a more uniform dough texture, liquid honey is considered ideal. If it has crystallized, you can melt the solid lumps in a double boiler. For the perfect flavor, it's best to choose aromatic varieties, with the exception of buckwheat and acacia. Despite their excellent flavor, the cakes will taste slightly bitter after baking.

3 questions about impregnations

What is the best way to soak Medovik?
Since Medovik cake layers are quite thin and often moist, try brushing them with a pastry brush or spraying them with the icing. This will allow you to better control the amount of icing liquid used.
How long should Medovik be left to steep after soaking?
The cream can be applied immediately. However, after assembling the Medovik, it's essential to let it sit for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight. This time is necessary for the impregnation to fully distribute, and for the layers to soak in the cream, becoming a single, soft dessert.
What to do with leftover syrup?
You can use sugar and citrus soaks to add to drinks. Milk syrups are used as a base for ice cream or as a delicious topping for porridge. And of course, any soak can be saved for the next cake, and it doesn't even have to be honey-based.