Honey Cake Medaus tortas When I was a child, honey cake was the most popular of all the cakes. It was baked for nearly every special occasion. It made an appearance no matter whose birthday was being celebrated—Dad’s, Mom’s, a best friend’s, or a neighbor’s. It was served at anniversaries and weddings, and so on. This cake’s flavor is so ingrained in our taste buds that, in the past twenty or thirty years, I can’t recall a single instance of someone making a disparaging comment about it. Lithuanians have tried everything—tiramisu, pavlova, mille-feuille (known to us as Napoleonas, see p. 261)—but a piece of honey cake evokes only the warmest feelings of nostalgia: “Oh wow, honey cake … Delicious!” We keep coming back to it like we do to the Baltic Sea amber and like we do to white linen table cloths and real wooden benches. Honey cake is such a part of us that it will never go out of style. Everyone seems to have a unique and special recipe for honey cake, but the results are always very close. The thinner you make the honey cake layers, the tastier the cake will be. The layers won’t come out like a sponge cake—they’re closer to a light, delicate cookie. These will later be moistened with tea when you assemble the layers and filling. Lithuanian honey and sour cream work a special kind of magic together. This recipe can yield either a very broad cake or a very tall one—enough for 15 to 20 guests. For the layers: 8 oz. 9 oz. ½ cup or 4 oz. ½ cup or 4 oz.
• 220 g butter • 250 g honey • 100 g brown sugar • 100 g white sugar • 2 eggs • 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 lb. 13 oz. • 800 g flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 2 teaspoons cinnamon • 1 cup strong black tea (Earl Grey is best)
For the cream filling: • 1–2 lemons 2 lb. 4 oz. • 1 kg sour cream (no less than 30% fat) 5 oz. • 150 g sugar
Rivers of Honey 257