Smetannik Sour Cream Cake (Торт Сметанник)

Smetannik is a dessert you absolutely have to make at home and not buy a commercial version. And that’s despite the multitude of cakes sold under this name in many Russian stores. Those cakes may taste fantastic; we are not here to argue whose cake is better. But in our experience at Russian Recipe Book, none of the commercially available “Smetannik” cakes we’ve tried tasted even close to the recipe we offer here.

So you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Your guests will be amazed and keep asking for more. And the good news is it’s very simple to make from few ingredients! Which raises the question in some minds:

Does a recipe always require lots of ingredients to be flavorful and interesting? Some dishes can be truly complex. Is it even possible to make something tasty and not boring from just a few ingredients? Once you try Smetannik, your answer will be an unequivocal YES! Even though your grocery shopping list for this Sour Cream Pastry will be short, the resulting flavor will be quite complex, and here is why: Mother Nature herself has already created a complex flavor in the ingredients. And sometimes, it’s hard to improve upon what Mother Nature the Chef has made for us. Just sit back and enjoy the simplicity of preparation and then the richness of flavor. That’s a double win!

Now be forewarned: you are about to enter the territory of mind boggling calorie counts, and we won’t even try to hide it. But hey, Smetannik a dessert! Just have a small piece and share the rest. And the ingredients area all-natural (if that makes you feel better; a beam of light shining through the storm).

Last note before we start with the recipe: Smetannik is a layered cake made in a deep pan. Pans come in different sizes, and everyone’s individual layer thickness will vary. The amount of ingredients here will make a 5-layer cake in a 8 x 14 x 3.5 inch pan. A rectangular pan with straight walls such as a lasagna dish or a storage container works the best. And if it comes with an airtight lid, even better. Use this as a starting point. If your pan is smaller, you can make 6 layers, but then you’ll need a taller pan. Do the math or figure it out by trial and error. You’ll also need a non-stick open baking/cookie sheet (preferably more than one to expedite the baking process) larger than the dish where you’ll be putting together the cake.

Ingredients

2 lbs unsalted butter
6 cups sugar (3 for the dough and 3 for the cream)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
9 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour
16 oz walnuts
3 lbs sour cream (we use Daisy brand with cultured cream as the only ingredient)
2 tsp natural vanilla extract

Directions

Microwave butter for 1.5 – 2 min to soften (but not melt!) it.
Mix the softened butter with 3 cups of sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Mince 1/2 of the walnuts in a food processor or blender. Add to the mix.
Gradually add the flour and knead until all the ingredients are mixed, the dough is pliable and doesn’t stick to hands. Cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 5 equal parts (if you are making a 5-layer cake).
Place each piece of the dough on an open non-stock cookie sheet and press down with your hands to form a layer about 1/3 inch-thick and somewhat larger than the deep dish you’ll use to put together the cake. It will be a bit frustrating, and a rolling pin won’t help much. But it’s doable!
Bake at 375 F for about 15-20 min until golden / light brown. Let cool to touch and push off the baking sheet; set it aside. Repeat the process for each of the 5 layers. NOTE: chances are, the layers will crack while you handle them. Don’t panic! Just try to keep the situation under control and don’t let your cake layers turn into dust. If they just break into large pieces, that won’t be a problem.
Mix sour cream, remaining 3 cups of sugar and vanilla by hand. Don’t beat the mix; just combine the ingredients well. Divide the mix into 5 equal parts (or estimate) so you don’t run out of cream toward the end of the cake assembly process.
After the individual cake layers are cool or barely warm, carefully trim them to size so they’ll fit in the cake dish. A serrated knife works well to score and break off the extra dough. Save the trimmings! Don’t eat them like cookies.
Assemble the cake in the deep dish you’ve prepared. Evenly coat the top of each layer with the sour cream mix. NOTE: As above, the fragile layers will break when you handle them. Just put the pieces back together as you assemble the cake.
Chop the remaining half of the walnuts. Crush and crumble the cake layer trimmings from step 9 by hand turning them into crumbs. Mix the crumbs with chopped walnuts.
Evenly sprinkle the crumb/walnut mix on top of the last layer of cake in the dish. Make sure the last layer is coated with the remaining sour cream mix before you sprinkle!
Cover the cake pan with an airtight lid or film. Make sure the lid doesn’t damage the top of the cake! That’s why it’s important to use a dish deep enough.
Let your Smetannik stand in the fridge at least overnight and up to 24 hours.
Cut into individual pieces with a sharp knife and serve. Keep the Smetannik in the fridge until ready to serve and consume quickly. It has no preservatives, and it’s highly perishable.
Enjoy!