Russian honey cake

Cook honey in a deep saucepan over medium heat about 10 minutes until one shade darker with a caramel aroma; off the heat whisk in a splash of cold water to stop the cooking and thin it.

Put a large metal bowl over the lowest heat (properly over simmering water) with a lot of butter, a touch of white sugar, some of the burnt honey and some regular honey; leave until the butter melts.

Mix baking soda with salt and cinnamon.

Whisk the butter mixture until very warm to the touch, whisk in six cold eggs, and keep over the low heat until very warm again.

Stir in the baking soda mixture; after a few minutes it lightens and turns thick and foamy.

Off the heat, sift in all purpose flour in two or three additions to a thick but runny, spreadable batter.

Spread just shy of half a cup of batter into an eight or nine inch circle on a Silpat-lined baking sheet, shake and tap to knock out bubbles.

Bake at 375 about 6 to 7 minutes; slide off onto the table, cool six or seven minutes, then flip off the mat onto parchment. Repeat for eight layers.

Trim the cooled layers to the same size around a plate with a pizza wheel, saving the scraps.

Spread the leftover batter on the sheet and bake about 10 minutes, cut into pieces with the trimmings and bake seven to ten minutes more until well browned; cool and bash in a bag into fine crumbs.

In a very cold bowl with a very cold whisk, whip two pints of very cold heavy cream to soft peaks, add the rest of the burnt honey and a couple of big spoons of sour cream, and whisk to fairly stiff peaks.

Assemble: a generous cup at least of cream on each layer, bubble-divot side up, pressing gently, the smoothest layer on top; frost the top and sides.

Coat with the crumbs by letting them ricochet off a bench scraper onto the cream.

Cover in plastic and refrigerate overnight or longer so the cream soaks into the layers; transfer to a cake stand and slice.