Russian smetannik (сметанник), a.k.a. “sour cream cake”. This is a very straightforward and delicious cake: layers of dense, moist, chewy cake, filled with a creamy, silky, slightly tangy frosting, with crushed walnuts providing additional texture. The cake’s name comes from the word smetana (сметана), which is a sort of thick, high-fat-content sour cream.
Note: Because this recipe is so simple (no eggs in the cake batter, no added stabilizing agent in the frosting), it is absolutely critical to use high-quality, high-fat-content smetana. If you’re thinking of using ordinary (supermarket) sour cream, or anything like it, just don’t bother—it simply won’t work. The cake won’t rise, the frosting will be watery, and the whole thing will be nothing but a waste of time.
Contents
Ingredients
Cake
- 500 g smetana
- 2 c sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Frosting
- 750 g smetana
- 1 c sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 c walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare (grease and line with parchment paper) three 8″ round cake pans. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
- Sift together dry ingredients (3 c flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt).
- Beat 500 g smetana, 2 c sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla extract in large bowl until sugar is dissolved.
- Mix dry ingredients into smetana mix with mixer until almost incorporated. Finish mixing by hand.
- Spread one-third of batter into one of the cake pans.
- Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to remaining cake batter and mix well. Divide batter into remaining two cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until top of light cake layer is a deep golden color, and wooden skewer comes out clean.
30 minutes pass
- Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes.
10 minutes pass
- Remove cake layers from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
1–2 hours pass
- Slice each cake layer in half (resulting in six layers).
- Using food processor or high-speed mixer, mix 750 g smetana, 1 c sugar, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract.
- Assemble cake: top each layer with generous amount of frosting, then sprinkle on several tablespoons of crushed walnuts. Place next cake layer on top, pushing down gently; repeat for each subsequent layer. Apply frosting to sides of cake as well.
- Decorate top of cake with thick layer of crushed walnuts. (Alternatively, you can use shaved dark chocolate, sprinkles, etc.)
- Refrigerate cake overnight (to let cake layers absorb moisture from frosting, and for frosting to thicken).
Tips
- To ensure cake layers don’t stick to baking pans, butter sides of pans, then dust with cocoa powder.
- Likewise, butter and dust with cocoa powder the surface that the cake will sit on once assembled (to prevent bottom layer from sticking).
- Use cake ring to assemble cake, to ensure the layers stack evenly. Once all the layers are in place, chill the cake somewhat, then remove the ring and apply leftover frosting to cake sides.
