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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 893 kcal

Ingredients
 

For the cake layers:

  • ¾ cup sour cream 20% fat
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 4 cups all‑purpose flour plus extra for dusting

For the sour cream filling:

  • 4 cups full‑fat sour cream 25% fat
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

For brushing the layers:

  • warm milk

For the chocolate glaze:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Put the 3⁄4 cup sour cream and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
    Sour cream and baking powder combined in a mixing bowl for Smetannik cake batter
  • Whisk well until you see air bubbles forming; this means the baking powder is reacting with the sour cream.
    Whisk creating bubbles in sour cream mixture showing baking powder activation
  • Add the eggs, sugar, oil, and melted butter to the bowl.
    Eggs, sugar, oil, and melted butter added to sour cream base in a bowl
  • Mix everything thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
    Cake batter being mixed until smooth and homogeneous
  • Add the flour to the wet ingredients.
    All-purpose flour being added to the sour cream cake batter
  • Start mixing with a spoon, then switch to your hands and knead until a soft dough forms.
    Soft sour cream dough being kneaded by hand in a bowl
  • Lightly flour your work surface and place the dough on it.
    Ball of sour cream dough placed on a floured work surface
  • Knead briefly just until the dough is smooth, then cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
    Resting dough covered with a towel on the counter
  • After resting, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each one into a ball.
    Dough divided into six balls ready to be rolled out
  • Roll each ball out with a rolling pin, dusting with a little flour underneath so it doesn’t stick, and use a large round lid or plate to trim into an even circle.
    Thin round sheet of dough cut using a plate as a template
  • You should get a circle like this; bake each one in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 7–8 minutes. Do this with every dough ball: you start with 6, but after trimming the edges you will have enough scraps to roll one more circle, for a total of 7 layers.
    Thin cake layer baking in the oven with extra dough for a seventh layer
  • Keep an eye on the layers so they don’t burn, as every oven bakes differently.
    Baked cake layers on a cooling rack, lightly golden around the edges
  • Meanwhile, prepare the cream: using a mixer, beat the full‑fat sour cream and sugar together, starting on low speed for 1 minute, then on high speed for 8–10 minutes.
    Mixer whipping sour cream and sugar into a fluffy cream
  • To make the cream thicker, place the sour cream in a cheesecloth‑lined strainer and let it drain for 4–5 hours or, even better, overnight so the whey drips out. This gives you a rich, thick cream for the filling.
    Sour cream draining in cheesecloth over a bowl to remove whey
  • Set up your work surface for assembling the cake.
    Work surface prepared with cake layers, cream, and tools for assembly
  • Spread a little cream on your serving plate, then place the first cake layer on top. Brush each layer with warm milk.
    First cake layer on a platter brushed with warm milk and cream underneath
  • Spread a generous layer of sour cream filling over the cake layer.
    Sour cream filling spread evenly over a cake layer
  • Repeat this process with all 7 cake layers.
    Tall layered Smetannik cake stacked with cream between each layer
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter.
    Butter melting in a small saucepan over low heat
  • Break the dark chocolate into small pieces so it melts faster, and add it to the melted butter.
    Dark chocolate pieces added to melted butter in a saucepan
  • Stir until the chocolate glaze is smooth and glossy.
    Silky chocolate glaze in a saucepan ready to pour over cake
  • Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Then, using a wooden skewer, draw small circles or any pattern you like to decorate the top.
    Chocolate-glazed Smetannik cake decorated with swirled patterns
  • Refrigerate the cake for 5–6 hours, or ideally overnight, so the layers can soften and the flavors meld together.
    Finished Smetannik cake resting in the refrigerator overnight

Notes

  1. For best results, use high‑fat sour cream and plan time to drain it in advance.
  2. Keep the dough soft; add just enough flour so it does not stick but still rolls easily.
  3. Brush each baked layer with warm milk so the cake becomes tender as it chills.
  4. Allow the assembled cake to rest overnight for the ideal melt‑in‑the‑mouth texture.
  5. A good quality dark chocolate bar will give the glaze a deep, clean flavor.
  6. You can decorate the sides with cake crumbs or chopped nuts for a classic bakery look.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 893kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 1199IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 5mg
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