Smetannik is a Russian layer cake featuring 8–9 impossibly thin, fluffy cake layers bound with tangy sour cream frosting that soaks into the layers as it chills. The result is a tender, melt-in-your-mouth dessert that's elegant yet simple to assemble.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper and spray the top and bottom with oil. (I do 2 baking pan at one time.) You will need to do this for every cake layer.
Using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or a large bowl and a hand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar until they are pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and add to the batter. Add the honey and oil. Mix to combine.
Add the flour and mix just until the flour is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Spread 1/9 of the batter evenly in the baking pan. (If you want, you can use a scale and it is approximately 5 oz of the batter for each layer.) The cake layers should be very thin, the batter just covering the bottom of the baking pan. You should have 8-9 cake layers. (I set one of the cake layers aside to use for crumbs and the cake is 8 layers tall.)
Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter. The cake layers will peel off the parchment paper very easily. Cool the cake layers completely.
Meanwhile, make the sour cream frosting. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl and a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and condensed milk until they are an even consistency.
Add the sour cream and vanilla until they are incorporated too. Mix the sour cream only until combined, don't overmix, or it will become too runny.
Pour in the chilled heavy cream and whip on high speed until the frosting thickens. However, if the frosting is really thin, (it depends on the sour cream, some brands of sour cream become very thin when mixewhip the heavy cream separately and then fold in gently into the sour cream mixture. You can also use the same amount of Cool Whip instead of the heavy cream.
Place one of the cake layers in a food processor and pulse it a few times until you have crumbs and set them aside. The crumbs will be used as a decoration for the sides of the cake.
Spread the sour cream frosting on each of the remaining 8 cake layers.
Since the sour cream frosting is on the thin side, the cake layers may slip around on me. That is ok. Sometimes I use a springform pan to put around the sides of the cake to keep it all together better, place it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. The sour cream frosting will soak into the cake layers and firm up, so the cake will be perfect at that point. This is what makes this cake so magically soft, fluffy and tender.
Take the springform pan off from around the cake, spread some of the frosting on the sides of the cake, just to even up the sides and then press the crumbs onto the sides of the cake.
Grate some chocolate on top of the cake. If you want, you can also pipe a border around the top of the cake from buttercream frosting. (butter, powdered sugar and a splash of milk.) Store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The cake is best made a day ahead so the frosting can soak into the layers and firm up completely.
stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachments · two 9-inch round cake pans · food processor · springform pan (optional but recommended for assembly)
Use a springform pan around the sides while the frosting is thin, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. The sour cream frosting will soak into the layers and firm up, stabilizing the cake.
Yes. Whip the heavy cream separately first, then fold it gently into the sour cream mixture. Avoid overmixing the sour cream or it will become too thin. You can also substitute the same amount of Cool Whip instead.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The frosting and thin layers require refrigeration to maintain structure.
Bake for 10–12 minutes until lightly golden brown. The layers should be very thin and peel off the parchment paper easily once cooled.
This recipe makes one 8–9 layer cake. Scaling requires adjusting batter portions carefully (each layer is about 5 oz). It's easier to follow the recipe as written.
