Since the Soviet Union time, in Russia, rye, wheat, barley, oats, and millet have been grown. Russians mastered the technique of cooking flour, before many people of Europe and Asia did. That is why in the universe of Russian cooking there is an abundance of baked goods, such as all kinds of pies, bread, donuts, pastries, rolls, loaves and pancakes.
The kind of pastries the traditional Russian cuisine make are mostly made from rye and wheat, lean and rich, with different fillings such as mushrooms, porridge, cottage cheese, peas, fish, meat, berries and fruit jams. Two of the most popular flour-based food from Russia are blini – a type of pancake or crepe made from wheat with varieties of fillings, and pirozhki – the delicious fried puff pastries with hearty stuffing. These pastries are among the must-taste dishes for travelers who visit Russia.
The Russian pastry world, however, has entered the modern stage just like in most parts of the world. The bakers and cake makers try to create cakes that are not only delicious but also beautiful. They treat their cakes with an artistic approach without sacrificing the taste. If you are not familiar with Russian baking industry, here are some of the country’s most famous cake makers and their latest cake innovations.
Olga Noskova, the art confectioner, with her “Mirror Cake”
She is a pastry chef from city of Ufa, Russia, who creates unusual glossy cakes that have become a talk around the world. But Olga actually has only thoroughly taken up this technique a couple of years ago. The rapid popularity of her desserts was facilitated by modern means of communication; the social media. Olga posted photos of her culinary masterpieces on her Instagram account that drew attention to such popular online resources as BoredPanda and BuzzFeed. Articles on these amazing cakes appeared on their websites. A positive note about them was printed in the British daily; The Independent. Her masterpiece cakes are impressive at first sight. They even externally manifest the harmony of beauty, expertly created by female hands. The surface of the desserts mirrors the glare of heavy, noble marble and, at the same time, it is coquettishly decorated with candied fruits.
Elena Gnut with her magical cakes
Everyone would definitely agree upon looking at Elena’s cakes that they are just too beautiful to be eaten. Born and raised in Kaliningrad, Russia, Elena Gnut was an interior designer when she realized it was not something she truly enjoyed. Her husband then suggested to try going back to things she loved as a child and it was baking. Elena first cake was made for her mother’s birthday, and soon after that she started to get orders. She builds stories into forms of cakes with little figures, paintings, and very detailed decorations. Now she has already opened a coffee and pastry shop so more people can come and taste her cake. Elena loves fairy tales and gray color that these two elements become the most dominant parts of her creations. You can visit her Instagram account to see the gallery of the cakes she has made, from the Nutcracker to Little Prince.
Nina Tarasova with her chocolate paradise
Born in Russia, Nina Tarasova studied pastry in France and has been pursuing her passion as a chef pastry specialized in chocolate. Her cakes are both beautiful and mouthwatering. Nina loves minimalism and simplicity for her cake designs so she can tempt people with modern textures and colors while preserving the traditional shapes of cakes. The delicious layers and decadent coat of melted chocolate make her creations too hard to resist. They look so good that sweet-tooth are guaranteed wanting to have a piece of her cake. You can find her gallery on Instagram under the handle of @niksya.
Vladimir Mukin with his honey cake
People who love watching reality shows, especially the cooking ones, would definitely recognize this Russian chef from the Chef’s Table series. Vladimir Mukin is big in Moscow with his very well-known workplace, White Rabbit. Today it is one of the most famous restaurants recognized not only in Russia but throughout the world. Here, for the first time, Russian cuisine sounds in tune with the latest gastronomic trends, and Russian products rise to the height of recognized delicacies thanks to Chef Vladimir Mukhin. He is known for infusing modern touch to traditional dishes, and one of his signatures is the Russian honey cake. His grandmother recipe of the cake is something he can never let go. It is something that always brings fond memories of his childhood and that is what he wishes Russian and people from all over the world to experience too. Vladimir’s honey cake is one of the most ordered desserts in White Rabbit for being dense and sweet just like the taste of vintage Russia.
Russian cuisine is perhaps one of the most colorful in the world. Here you can find delicious rich borscht, and thin pancakes with caviar, fish and mushrooms, and delicious pies with multi-layer fillings, pies and cereals. A traditional Russian lunch consists of three dishes: hot soup, meat or fish accompanied with a side dish of cereals or potatoes and a sweet drink, fruity drink or fruit juice. For starters, traditionally they serve squash caviar, smoked herring, pickled vegetables fresh from the garden, fragrant sauerkraut and salads seasoned with sour cream or sunflower oil. It is impossible to imagine Russian cuisine without bread and flour products, especially pies with minced meat, mushrooms and boiled eggs, which are so delicious to eat with pickle and fish soup. Some of the popular Russian desserts are tula pryanik, napoleon cake, vatrushka, ptichye moloko cake, poppy-seed sushki and now, in modern days, the innovative cakes from the famous Russian cake makers also enrich the list.