Smetannyk
Smetannyk (сметанник): soft layered sour-cream cake with sour-cream frosting
Long before shop-bought cakes reached the villages, a smetannyk was the birthday cake Ukrainian mothers could make from what the cow and the hens gave: sour cream in the sponge, sour cream in the frosting, and very little else. Four thin layers, two of them darkened with cocoa, are stacked with a sweet, tangy cream that soaks in overnight until the whole cake turns tender and almost pudding-like. It is still made for name days and family Sundays all over the country, often cut into tall slices and eaten with strong black tea. A common mistake is frosting with thin, low-fat sour cream: it runs off the sides and never sets. Use the richest you can find, at least 20 per cent fat, and drain it if it looks watery. The cake needs at least 6 hours in the fridge, so make it the day before. Chef's tip: hang the frosting sour cream in muslin over a bowl in the fridge for a few hours; it whips up thick and glossy.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the layers
- 3 eggs
- 7 oz sugar
- 10 ½ oz sour cream20% fat
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted and cooled
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the frosting
- 1 ½ lb sour cream25–30% fat, well chilled
- 5 ½ oz icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
- 1 ¾ oz walnuts (optional)chopped
- 1 oz dark chocolate (optional)grated
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two 22 cm round tins with baking paper.
2 minStep 2: Whisk 3 eggs and 7 oz sugar with an electric mixer on high for 5 minutes, until pale, thick and doubled in volume.
5 minStep 3: Beat in 10 ½ oz sour cream and 1 ¾ oz butter on low, then sift in 10 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and fold with a spatula until no dry streaks remain.
4 minStep 4: Pour half the batter into one tin. Sift 2 tbsp cocoa powder into the other half, fold it in until evenly brown and pour it into the second tin.
3 minStep 5: Bake both for 25–30 minutes, until risen, springy in the middle and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then on a rack until completely cold.
40 minStep 6: Whisk 1 ½ lb sour cream, 5 ½ oz icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a cold bowl for 3–4 minutes, until thick enough to hold soft peaks. Do not overbeat or it will thin out.
4 minStep 7: With a long serrated knife, slice each cake into two thin layers.
4 minStep 8: Stack the layers on a plate, alternating light and dark, spreading a thick layer of frosting on each. Cover the top and sides with the rest.
10 minStep 9: Scatter over 1 ¾ oz walnuts and 1 oz dark chocolate if using, then chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, until the layers are soft and moist and the cake slices cleanly.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does smetannyk take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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