10-Layer Spiced Russian Honey Cake
 
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup (85 grams) honey
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
  • 3 large eggs (150 grams), lightly beaten
  • 3½ cups (438 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
  • Sour Cream Frosting (recipe below)
  • Garnish: fresh currants, White Chocolate Honeycomb (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, butter, and honey to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 4 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda. (The mixture will violently bubble up and drastically change in color. Keep whisking until a dark amber color is achieved and mixture is no longer bubbling.) Whisking vigorously, gradually add eggs in a slow, steady stream until combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups (375 grams) flour, allspice, cloves, ginger, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture and vanilla into honey mixture until well combined. Add remaining ½ cup (63 grams) flour, stirring gently just until combined.
  4. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper, and divide into 10 equal portions. Cover with a towel to keep warm. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, lightly sprinkle top with flour, and place on another sheet of parchment paper. Roll into an 8-inch circle, using an 8-inch round cake pan as a guide. Trim edges, reserving scraps. Transfer dough circle on parchment to a rimmed baking sheet. (If dough becomes cold while working with it, you can microwave it for 5 seconds to warm back up. When cold, dough is difficult to roll out, and prone to forming a skin.)
  5. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining dough circles.
  6. Bake scraps for 7 minutes; let cool. Transfer to the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely ground. Reserve 1 cup (100 grams) cake crumbs for White Chocolate Honeycomb.
  7. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, and spread with ½ cup (120 grams) Sour Cream Frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, pressing down gently as you go to keep layers from having air gaps. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours.
  8. Spread remaining Sour Cream Frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining cake crumbs in a circle on top of cake. Garnish with currants and White Chocolate Honeycomb, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://staging.bakefromscratch.com/10-layer-spiced-russian-honey-cake/