Traditional Russian cake

This kind of cake will keep fresh for well over a week. The flour must be dry and sifted at least twice through a fine mesh before use. The other ingredients are butter, eggs, milk or cream, sugar and fresh yeast (never use dried yeast). Raisins, candied fruit or peel or almonds are added, and saffron for colouring. Other spices to use are vanilla, cardamom and cloves, although in much smaller quantities than in the spiced honey cake, and usually only one at a time.

The relationship between the ingredients can vary a great deal (for instance from 10 to 100 eggs for 2 kg (4 lb) flour), the essence of traditional Russian cake does not rely so much on the ingredients as on the precise detail and strict order of preparation, thus: