Smetannik — Sour Cream Layer Cake (Honey)
Tender sour-cream sponge layers stacked with a tangy sour-cream honey cream. A beloved everyday Slavic layer cake — cousin to Medovik but softer and quicker, no rolling.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- Makes enough for 12
- Intermediate, with clear steps and nothing fussy
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, pinch salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (to color half the batter)
- 2 cups (480 g) cold sour cream
- 3 tbsp raw honey, 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped, to finish
What goes into Smetannik — Sour Cream Layer Cake (Honey)
This one comes together in two parts, each doing its own job:
- Layers. Built from 1 cup (240 g) sour cream and a few others.
- Cream. Built from 2 cups (480 g) cold sour cream and a few others.
How to make it
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 8-inch pans.
Whisk sour cream, honey, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Fold in flour, leaveners and salt.
Split batter; stir cocoa into one half. Bake each in a lined pan 20–25 min. Cool, then slice each round in half horizontally (4 thin layers).
Whisk cold sour cream, honey and vanilla to a thick cream.
Stack layers alternating light and dark, spreading cream between each and over the top.
Press walnuts on top and sides; chill 6 hours so it turns soft and moist.
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Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Smetannik — Sour Cream Layer Cake (Honey) really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from honey - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
How long does Smetannik — Sour Cream Layer Cake (Honey) keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Smetannik — Sour Cream Layer Cake (Honey) make?
This makes enough for 12. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Smetannik — Sour Cream Layer Cake (Honey)
Tender sour-cream sponge layers stacked with a tangy sour-cream honey cream. A beloved everyday Slavic layer cake — cousin to Medovik but softer and quicker, no rolling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, pinch salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (to color half the batter)
- 2 cups (480 g) cold sour cream
- 3 tbsp raw honey, 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped, to finish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 8-inch pans.
- Whisk sour cream, honey, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Fold in flour, leaveners and salt.
- Split batter; stir cocoa into one half. Bake each in a lined pan 20–25 min. Cool, then slice each round in half horizontally (4 thin layers).
- Whisk cold sour cream, honey and vanilla to a thick cream.
- Stack layers alternating light and dark, spreading cream between each and over the top.
- Press walnuts on top and sides; chill 6 hours so it turns soft and moist.
