Smetannik is a Russian cake that has multiple thin and fluffy cake layers with a tangy and sweet sour cream frosting. The cake is so tender and delicate, it just melts in your mouth. 
This classic Russian cake has been in our family and on our holiday tables since before I was born. The tender and delicate layer cake is an ideal accompaniment to an evening of tea with friends or a family birthday party. The cake absolutely melts in your mouth and is not overpowering or cloyingly sweet.
The numerous layers make it beautiful and intricate but preparing it is so simple, I remember making it when I was ten. You can also add poppy seeds to the batter and it will become a poppy seed layer cake. The tangy sour cream frosting seeps into fluffy, thin cake layers and that's what makes it so magically moist, slightly tart, with the sweetness of the honey cake layers.
Ingredients:
Cake:
9 eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons honey
1 ½ Tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc.)
1 Tablespoon baking soda dissolved in ¾ Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
3 cups all-purpose flour
Sour Cream Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 can sweetened condensed milk
½ - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (16 oz) containers sour cream
8 oz heavy cream or Cool Whip
Instructions:
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 pans at one time.)
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 on 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, cream 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 mixed) whip 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. You may have a small amount of frosting left over.
Take the springform pan 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.
Delicate and Tender Layer Cake - Smetannik
Smetannik is a Russian cake that has multiple thin and fluffy cake layers with a tangy and sweet sour cream frosting. The cake is so tender and delicate, it just melts in your mouth.
- Total Time: 2880 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Cake:
- 9 eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ Tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc.)
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda dissolved in ¾ Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Sour Cream Frosting:
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 (16 oz) containers sour cream (32 total ((32 oz total))
- 8 oz heavy cream or Cool Whip
Instructions
- 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.
Do you use sweetened condensed milk ?
Yes, it's sweetened condensed milk, Ruslana.
I made the cake today, but I think I used a baking pan that was a bit too big so I was scared that it looked too thin and divided the batter only into 3 , but after they baked I saw that they actually became pretty tall and therefore a little dry because the frosting didn't absorb through the entire layer . But still tasted pretty good:)
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking soda - is this 1Tbls and 1/2 tsp?
1 8 oz package cream cheese softened- is it 8oz pack right?
Just wanted to make sure 😉
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking soda is 1 Tablespoon and 1/2 Tablespoon. 1 package of cream cheese that is 8 oz per package.
Thank you Olchik, made the cake and everyone loved it!!!! my cakes turned out more like a sponge cake for some reason , so i had to cut them in half, but it was still very good!!! (luv everysingle recipe of yours, you cook/bake my style, & to my taste, I have tried different web pages,,, but yours is AweSomE, I am not afraid to make something new when i have gests over, cuz i know it will taste good!!! Thank you for all the recipes and the hard work you put into this. God bless you & your family:)
Hi Olga! Have you tried to halve this cake before? If yes, could you tell me the new measurements? Also in what kind of form size would I have to bake the smaller cake? Thanks!
You can definitely halve the recipe, Oksana. However, I can't tell you the exact measurements. You can use any form or size that you like, just spread it out pretty thinly and bake until it's golden brown.
Awww... Thanks, Inna!
You probably didn't spread the batter thin enough, which is why you had to cut it in half.
Hey! How early in advance can this cake be made and not be ruined? We are celebrating Zhatva this Sunday (10-28) and wondered when could I start making it so the cake would become tender and soft? Thanks!
Hi Oksana! You can make the cake several days in advance. Make sure to keep it refrigerated but cover it well. You don't want the cake to taste like the refrigerator:).
Hi Olga! I don't know where you get these pan forms because I cannot find a 15x10 anywhere. Could you recommended another size?
Hi Oksana,
You can use whichever size you have. Just spread the cake batter about 1/2 inch thick and bake until it's golden.
I just wanted to ask do you whip the heavy cream yourself or you buy the pre-whipped kind? If you whip it yourself for how long? Cause I heard that buying heavy whip cream and whipping it tastes better than the cool whip from the store.
Ruslana,
Whipping cream yourself is really easy and it definitely tastes better. Here are a few tips that I always do when I whip cream. 1. Chill the bowl and the whisk that you'll be using. Cream whips much better in a cold bowl. 2. Use cold cream, straight from the refrigerator. I just place the bowl and the whisk attachment into the freezer for about 15 minutes. 3. You can use heavy cream or whipping cream. 4. Watch the cream as it's being whipped. If you whip it too long, it will become butter! It's hard to say how long, because mixer are different. If you use a hand mixer, you will need to whip it longer than if you're using a standing mixer. To check if the cream is whipped enough, take the whisk out of the cream. The cream should be stiff enough to make a soft peak, but still soft enough that it doesn't become butter.
Hi Olga,
I made this cake last weekend. I loved to moist not too sweet taste. Are the cake layers supposed to be dark, golden brown? I think the honey causes them to brown quickly. I baked my first layer for 10min and it was close to being burned.
Hi Inna!
All ovens cook differently. For example, my Mom's oven bakes a lot faster than mine and my first oven baked slower than the one I have now. As a rule of thumb, I always start checking my baking 5 minutes before the recipe suggests, and keep an eye on it. The cake layers are golden, but use common sense to judge if it's burning or not. If you press lightly on top of the cake, it should spring back, and not leave any indentations.
I made this cake. It was delicious!! I really liked that it was easy to make it. Thank you 🙂
Is there a way I can leave out the heavy cream? or maybe I can substitute it with something else?
Thank you
You can use any cake frosting that you like to use. It won't taste the same, but adjust it to the way you like to eat your cakes:). Is there a specific reason why you don't wish to use heavy cream?
Hi Olga. Thank you for the recipe. I made it last Friday for a gathering and received lots of compliments! I can't wait to try it with some poppy seeds. Of course mine looked nothing like yours, I just decorated it with graham crackers ( I don't have a food processor to do the crumbs). LOL. It came out lopsided and my husband even called it cake "Tyap lyap". It tasted so good though.
Awww.... Thanks, Lily! Glad you liked it:).
I definitely promote your blog when people give compliments about the food I made from here! 🙂
OLga,i am planning on making this cake for this Sunday.. if i make it on friday, will it be ok for sunday.. it wont be too soggy?
Hi Ilona!
The cake will be just fine if you make it on Friday.
Hi Olia. Just a small error in the last part where it says, " Press against the crumbs against the sides of the cake." 🙂
A question about that, what kind of tool do you use to press the crumbs onto the cakes sides?
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for pointing it out to me, Julia. I've corrected it. I don't use any "tool". I use my hands or a folded piece of paper to press the crumbs against the sides of the cake.
I asked my husband, "Do you know this cake?" He said don't know, and he start asked my mother in law, she said she made this cake a lot of time when my husband still kid. After he said, oh yes I remember this cake was really tasty!!! Hahhahaaha... Thanks for the recipe, will definitely try it 😉
I can't wait to make this cake!
Hi Olga, made this cake yesterday.. I just have one questions.. is the biskvit suppost to be spongy or a little on the tough side. My beskvit turned out like it had a little too much flour..? or that is the way it should be.? it was not soft like a regular sponge cake.
Hi Inessa,
This is not a biskvit, (sponge cake). It's a completely different batter and doesn't turn out like a biskvit. The texture is harder than a regular sponge cake. It becomes very tender and delicate when you cover it with the cream frosting. If you prefer it to be a biskvit, I have a recipe for Sponge Cake on the blog too.
Thank you olga for a quick responds. It was different, that is why I thought I messed up. But my kids loved it, its all gone 🙂 I did make your canoli cake and it was the best beskvit I have ever tried. Thank you for all the great recipes you post and the detailed step by step pictures.. I enjoy reading your blog. I peak here every single day hoping to see what else new I can make for my family.
Thank you, Olga. I just made this recipe. It was very easy to follow and make. The batter and the cream taste delicious. Looking forward to serving it for the New Year's party.
My notes:
1. I used 8" pans. Each layer 1/2 cup of batter. 9.5 layers total. I'll use the 0.5 layer for crumbs.
2. Used avocado oil spray on parchment paper.
3. I did 4 pans at a time. 350F. 12min-12.5min. Perfect donnest.
4. Because the cake was getting too tall, I ended up making 2 cakes. One with 4 layers, the other one with 5 layers.
5. I used a springform for one of the cakes. And I assembled the other one inside a 9" pot. I put a strip of foil and parchment paper on the bottom to make it easy to pull up and out the cake from the pot tomorrow after it firms up.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Roger. I am so glad you enjoyed the cake.
I love this cake, but never tried a home made version.. Such a beautiful dessert and looks pretty easy to make. I love the way you decorated it. Is that just melted chocolate? and did you use a special tool to make the flower decor? its simple but so pretty
Thank you, Ilona! Actually, my husband decorated it. All he used was chocolate glaze. You can find the recipe on Lady Finger's cake. You can also use melted chocolate.
What IS the quantity in grams of sugar?