Every cook should have a cake recipe that is so simple to make they don't have to depend on a boxed mix to come to their rescue when having guests coming over unexpectedly or simply lacking in time. This cake should also taste so phenomenal that guests will beg for the recipe and family members will repeatedly request it. Too much to ask, you say? Not with this cake.
In all the years that we've been making it, it is so popular with friends and family that we make it for many occasions because it is so loved. This is also the recipe that I give out the most. The people have spoken, not just the cook, who is thrilled not to stand in the kitchen for hours toiling over multiple layers, intricate details and elaborate techniques.
The cake is moist and light, but sturdy enough for the frosting. I use my standard frosting recipe that I use for most of my cakes - light, fluffy and creamy. The addition of fresh raspberries gives the cake such a refreshing taste and since I absolutely adore raspberries, I think it gives it the perfect sweet and tart note of spring. The cake is very versatile, so you can adjust it to your taste and add any berries, fruit, nuts, chocolate or candy. Since it's so easy to make and is made up of pieces of cake, this is literally a "Piece of Cake".
Ingredients:
Cake:
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 ½ cups flour
Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 can of condensed milk
1 (16 oz) package sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream, very cold
1 pint fresh raspberries
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13x9 inch deep baking pan with aluminum foil.
With a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, mix the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 
Add the sour cream. Dissolve the baking soda in vinegar and also add to the cake batter. Mix to combine. 
Add the flour and mix until incorporated. The batter will still be on the thinner side. 
Pour into prepared baking dish. 
Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. 
Cool slightly, just until you can handle it. Tear the cake into pieces. This is the fun part. I always feel like I'm one of the elders in a Russian church breaking bread for communion. The cake should be almost cool when you're done tearing it apart, but if it isn't, just set aside until it's completely cool. 
The texture of the cake is not like a typical sponge cake. It's much more dense. If the cake was light and fluffy and light as a sponge cake, the cake would completely disintegrate when tossed with the frosting. 
Meanwhile, make the frosting.
With a paddle attachment on a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese until creamy and it has an even consistency. Add the condensed milk. Mix to combine. Add the sour cream and vanilla and also mix to combine. 
In another chilled bowl with a chilled whisk attachment, whip the very cold heavy cream until stiff but still somewhat soft peaks form. 
Gently fold the whipped cream into the rest of the frosting with a rubber spatula. 
When the cake is cool, pour in part of the frosting and mix.
Keep adding more frosting until all the the cake is completely covered in frosting, but don't add too much or the cake will be mushy. Set aside the remaining frosting to spread over the assembled cake. Add the raspberries to the cake and VERY GENTLY mix to combine. 
You can form the cake into any shape that you like - circle, square, etc. You can also use the sides of a springform pan to help you shape it, by placing the rim on top of the serving plate, putting the cake inside the springform and then taking the springform off. 
You can even form it into a heart for a romantic date or Valentine's Day. You can even do a free form shape by plopping all the cake onto a serving platter and making a rounded shape, covering with the remaining frosting and decorating however you please. 
Cover with the remaining frosting and decorate with chocolate shaving, chocolate glaze, berries, nuts or whatever else you like. I like to use THIS RECIPE of chocolate glaze to drizzle over the cake and then add some raspberries. 
Store the cake in the refrigerator. You can serve it right away, but it is best served after having a few hours to chill in the refrigerator. 
Raspberry "Piece of Cake" Cake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
- Category: Sweets
Ingredients
Cake:
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon of vinegar
- 1 ½ cups flour
Frosting:
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
- 1 can of condensed milk
- 1 (16 oz) package sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream, very cold
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13x9 inch deep baking pan with aluminum foil.
- With a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, mix the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream. Dissolve the baking soda in vinegar and also add to the cake batter. Mix to combine.
- Add the flour and mix until incorporated. The batter will still be on the thinner side.
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool slightly, just until you can handle it. Tear the cake into pieces. This is the fun part. I always feel like I'm one of the elders in a Russian church breaking bread for communion. The cake should be almost cool when you're done tearing it apart, but if it isn't, just set aside until it's completely cool.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. With a paddle attachment on a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese until creamy and it has an even consistency.
- Add the condensed milk. Mix to combine. Add the sour cream and vanilla and also mix to combine.
- In another chilled bowl with a chilled whisk attachment, whip the very cold heavy cream until stiff but still somewhat soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the rest of the frosting with a rubber spatula.
- When the cake is cool, pour in part of the frosting and mix. Keep adding more frosting until all the the cake is completely covered in frosting, but don't add too much or the cake will be mushy.
- Set aside the remaining frosting to spread over the assembled cake.
- Add the raspberries to the cake and VERY GENTLY mix to combine.
- You can form the cake into any shape that you like - circle, square, etc. You can also use the sides of a springform pan to help you shape it, by placing the rim on top of the serving plate, putting the cake inside the springform and then taking the springform off. You can even form it into a heart for a romantic date or Valentine's Day. I simply plopped all the cake onto my serving platter and made a rounded shape.
- Cover with the remaining frosting and decorate with chocolate shaving, chocolate glaze, berries, nuts or whatever else you like.
I love this recipe. I haven’t made it in a long time and I am just wondering did you not put cream cheese in the frosting before.? I don’t remember cream cheese being In the frosting in your old post of this cake. Could you please let me know I would like to make it the way I used to make it before
Hi Olia,
The cream cheese was always in the recipe:). This is the only way I have ever made it; I haven't changed the recipe.
The cake is very good, but every time I make it, my frosting always comes out runny. Any idea why? I make sure everything is extra chill when I whip the heavy cream. Once I mix the two mixture together it just looses its stiffness and ends up very runny which makes it hard for decorating the cake. Any tips? Thanks!
Hi Lida,
The frosting will not be as thick as buttercream. It should be thinner because it is important to be able to soak into the cake well. If the frosting is too thick, the cake will be much drier.
However, it should not be too thin to decorate. If you use Cool Whip instead of whipped heavy cream, the frosting will be thicker, because Cool Whip has stabilizers in it. I prefer to use plain heavy cream. Another option is to use less heavy cream, more cream cheese.
Just want to thank you for sharing such amazing recipes. I've recently discovered your site and have tried many different ones. The detailed pictures and descriptions are soo helpful! Every recipe turns out and tastes amazing! God bless you and your family
Welcome, Tanya:).
I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying my online kitchen and are happy with the recipes you tried. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Hi Olga, this cake looks yummy!! I would like to try it. Just wondering what size springform pan should I use to help form the cake? Thanks!
9 inches, Tanya.
Made this cake for my daughters birthday and everyone liked it 🙂 It's not too sweet and whole berries make the cake even better. Thank you for a great recipe!
That's great, Lyuba! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake. Happy Birthday to your daughter.
Can this cake be frozen? Does it thaw out well? I'm wanting to make this cake for a wedding and want to see if I can do any portion ahead of time. You mentioned earlier to avoid fruit if making ahead of time. So, how long can the cake stand without fruit?
Have you tried making cake-pops with this recipe?
I have never tried freezing the cake or making cake pops with it, but you can certainly try, Julia.
I would not recommend assembling it more than a 1-2 days in advance. If you are using berries, not more than 1 day in advance.
Thank you for this gem. The good Lord did not bless me with the baking gene at all, but i have tried and this is the only cake i have made and it turned out edible!!! Thank you!!!
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed this cake, Irene:).
What’s the reason for foiling the pan? Can I just put some parchment on the bottom or goes it need to be on the sides too?
Yes, you can use parchment paper instead. I would recommend getting enough paper on the sides as well. It is much easier to get out of the pan.
How does this cake taste? Is it more of like dry cake or moisty?
It's moist, Valentina.
Hello Olya been quite awhile now this cake recipe looks scrumptious and seriously tantalizing tho I don't have raspberries on hand only strawberries would it work btw both of your boys have grown so much g-d bless them
We have been making this cake for many years and for many different occasions and it's always a favorite. You can use whatever fruit or berries that you like. You can even use chocolate and/or nuts too.
Oh really wow cool beans Olga dear thanx so much @ always your a gem sweetheart g-d bless you
Hi Olga! The cake was delicious, Ive made it twice already, but for some reason the consistency of the frosting is too drippy. I dont understand what I did wrong. When I frost the cake, the cream drips. Can you please tell me what it can be? Thanks, Oksana
Hi Oksana,
The frosting is thinner in consistency than a typical thick buttercream frosting, because this cake needs to have the frosting really soak into the cake.
Also, if your cream cheese is too warm or you mix it too long, it will be too runny.
I hope that helps.
thank you!
I made this cake at Easter and it was beautiful! Thank you for such a lovely recipe. I am making it again tomorrow for Saturday as I found that the cake taste improved after a day of resting. LOVELY! Thanks Barbara
You're welcome, Barbara! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Would the cake be good if I made it Friday night, but served it sunday?
You can definitely make the cake ahead of time, Allie, however, I don't recommend adding fruit and especially berries to the cake ahead of time. They will get really soggy and might not be very fresh by the time you serve it.
You can make the cake without the berries ahead of time and then just add fresh fruit to the top of the cake right before serving.
My cream/frosting for the cake doesn't come out as thick as yours, I would say it's more on a runny side; what am I doing wrong? The heavy whipping cream part is great, the first part it too runny.. :/
If it's not thick enough for you, Sveta, use more powdered sugar to thicken it up, although it will be much more sweet. Also, do not mix it too long. As soon as the cream cheese is an even consistency, turn it off. The longer you mix it, the thinner it will be. You can also use powdered sugar instead of the condensed milk to sweeten the frosting, which will make it thicker and use more of it until it's as thick as you like.
The frosting DOES need to be thinner than a typical frosting so that it absorb into the cake better, though, so keep that in mind.
Do you use raw condensed milk or boiled one?
Raw, uncooked condensed milk, Sveta.
Thank you, how much do you suggest to add confection sugar and sour cream instead of condensed milk?
The condensed milk is mainly used for sweetness, so add as much powdered sugar as you like and then add 1/2 a cup or so of sour cream. I don't know exactly. When I post recipes, I test them over and over again to make sure everything works out well. I can't tell you the exact measurements without the condensed milk, because I didn't test it. It's a matter of taste, really. Just keep trying it and adjust it however you want.
Thank you Olga so much. I really appreciate your answering.