Medovik Tea Cakes

Yield: 18 2 1/2” tea cakes

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Biscuits:

 

1 ½ cup flour

 

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

 

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

 

2 jumbo eggs (approximately 6 tablespoons) that have been whisked until creamy 

 

9 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

 

¾ cup raw honey

 

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

 

 

Cream Filling:

 

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

 

1 ½ cups sour cream

 

1 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar

 

 

Suggested Garnishes:

 

Edible Flowers:

• Daisies  (Your guests may not be able to refrain from indulging in the childhood game of “He loves me. He loves me not.)
• Crystalized or fresh Violets 
• Fondant honey bees – Dye a quarter cup of fondant with yellow

       food dye to the desired color by folding the dye into the

       fondant.  Roll, between your palms, 20-30 pieces of yellow

       fondant into  the shape and size of a jelly bean. If the

       fondant begins to stick, wash hands in cold water.

       Combine a drop of yellow, blue,  and red dye together to

       make brown dye in a small glass container.   Use a

       toothpick to draw 3 stripes from the middle of  the “bee”

       to the back.  Attach 2 almond slices on top for wings. 

       Affix to cakes by pushing down lightly.

 

 

 

Steps:

 

For the biscuit layers:

1. Sift the two flours, baking soda and nutmeg into a bowl.
2. Whisk the eggs until creamy and foamy in a separate large bowl.
3. Add sugar.
4. Beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is airy and light.
5. Add the honey and beat until the texture of the liquids are thoroughly combined and no traces of the individual ingredients are apparent.
6. Slowly drizzle the liquids into the dry ingredients, stirring constantly with a fork until thoroughly combined.
7. Heat the oven to 320° F.
8. Cut parchment paper to fit over the top of a baking sheet.
9. Spread a playing card thin layer of dough on top of the parchment paper.
10. Bake 7-9 minutes or until medium golden brown. Do not brown.
11. Remove baking sheet from the oven and immediately cut as many pieces as possible with a round, 2 1/2” cookie cutter. Do not remove the pieces from the parchment paper.
12. Allow to cool completely before carefully removing the biscuit pieces from the parchment paper with a spatula. .
13. Reserve the random pieces of biscuit to use to crumb the cakes.
14. Repeat steps 8 – 12 until the batter has been completely used.  
15. Crumble the reserved random pieces into a fine breadcrumb consistency.

 

 

Cream filling:

1. Whisk cream, sour cream and confectioner’s sugar until it thickens to a frosting consistency.
2. Chill until ready to assemble.

 

 

 

Assembly:

1. Spread a thin layer of cream on top of one biscuit.
2. Place another biscuit on top.
3. Spread a thin layer of cream on top of the second biscuit layer.
4. Place another biscuit on top of the second biscuit layer.
5. Spread a thin layer of cream on top of the third biscuit.
6. Place a fourth biscuit on top of the third biscuit.
7. Spread a thin layer of cream on the sides and top of the tea cake.
8. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top and sides of the tea cakes.
9. Repeat Steps 1 – 8 until all of the cakes have been assembled.

 

Place cakes in a single layer (without any of the cakes touching) in an air tight container(s) and chill for 24 hours.

 

Remove cakes from the icebox.  

 

At this point the biscuits have absorbed moisture from the cream filling and are incredibly soft and delicate   Carefully use a spatula to place each cake on a serving platter without any of the cakes touching.

 

Garnish.

 

Serve with a cake server to allow guests to remove the cakes from the serving platter.