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Marlenka (Armenian honey and caramel cake): photo of the dish
Illustrative photo: Evilfreethinker — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Desserts

Marlenka (Armenian honey and caramel cake)

A layered cake of thin sponge sheets soaked in a caramel and honey cream, originating in Armenia and shared with its neighbours. Very moist, it is eaten fresh, often for a celebration or an afternoon treat.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Caramel

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

Nutrition facts

581 kcal per serving

Protein
10.5 g
Carbohydrates
91 g
of which sugars
63.1 g
Fat
18.8 g

Ecomely’s estimate, calculated from the ingredients with the ANSES Ciqual food composition table, excluding sides and seasoning added to taste.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Beat the eggs with 150 g of sugar until pale and frothy.
  2. Add the melted honey, melted butter and vanilla, then fold in the flour mixed with the baking powder.
  3. Spread the batter very thinly over two trays or a greased dish and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Then cut discs or rectangles from the cooled sponges.
  4. Make the caramel: heat the sugar with the water over medium heat without stirring until amber, then set aside.
  5. In a saucepan, dissolve the cornflour in a little cold milk, then add the rest of the milk and the remaining sugar. Cook, stirring, until thickened, then stir in the caramel.
  6. Let the cream cool, then mix it with the crème fraîche whipped with the icing sugar.
  7. Assemble the cake by alternating layers of sponge and cream, finishing with cream. Sprinkle with walnuts if you like and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Variations and tips

Quick version. Replace the homemade sponges with bought dry biscuits, dipping them quickly in warm milk.

Using what's available here. Honey and caramel are found everywhere; no substitution needed.

More ideas

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Original Ecomely recipe.