Vanilla Sour Cream Cake (Tort Smetannik)

Soft, moist and healthy, this Vanilla Sour Cream Cake brings back the childhood memories. So popular in post-Soviet countries, this easy cake recipe will make a beautiful summer/spring dessert your loved ones will like. 

Tort Smetannik

Growing up in Ukraine, I wouldn't say that Ukrainian/Russian cuisines are abundant in healthy recipes.

Nevertheless, there's one famous dessert that is considered healthier and better for you.

Tort Smetannik or Vanilla Sour Cream Cake is so popular in post-Soviet countries. Growing up, I saw this beautiful dessert in almost every street cafe. People love it, because it combines affordable ingredients and it's easy to put together. Just like my Sticky Toffee Pudding, that I shared with you some time ago, Smetannik is one of those desserts that always goes fast.

Thanks to thin cake layers and delicious sour cream frosting, the cake comes out incredibly moist. It's a dessert that doesn't feel heavy so you'll be tempted to have more than one piece:)

Even my husband, who told me to stop making desserts (apparently we had lots of them lately), noted how delicious it was.

As you guessed from the title, the main ingredient is sour cream. It goes into the batter and the frosting. That way, the layers come out super fluffy and soft. The beauty of this Russian Sour Cream Cake is that the longer it sits, the better it gets.

Make it the night before and let the sour cream frosting soak into the cake. Or if you're in a hurry, assemble the cake and allow it 4 to 6 hours to firm up. Beautiful, soft and moist cake is guaranteed.

I made my Vanilla Sour Cream Cake in the 6-inch round baking pan. I also added cocoa powder to a half of the cake batter to have a beautiful contrast between layers. You can skip the cocoa if you want.

The key to the best most delicious cake is a quality of sour cream. I recommend using the freshest sour cream. It will really make the difference in the end result.

I had only one pan so I baked the cake in two steps. Each layer of cake rises just slightly in the oven, but not to much. So don't panic. You're doing everything right.

Since the layers will not rise much, make sure to take your time to evenly cut them in half. I found this tutorial to be very helpful.

The cake will feed up to 8 people, so it's perfect for small parties and special family celebrations.

This easy Smetannik goes great with your morning coffee or Earl Grey Tea Latte. You can also enjoy it anytime during the day when you need a little sweet treat:)

I hope you'll like this super delicious Russian Sour Cream Cake and make it for your next special occasion or just because;)

Recipe

Vanilla Sour Cream Cake (Tort Smetannik)

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Ukraininan

Servings: 8

Author: Iryna

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Ingredients

For the batter

• ▢ 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sour cream
• ▢ ¾ cup icing sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ cup sifted flour
• ▢ 1 /2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in ¼ teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 4 tablespoons melted butter
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

For sour cream frosting

• ▢ ¾ cup confectioners sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ cup sour cream
• ▢ a handful of fresh berries blueberries, raspberries

Instructions

For the batter

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the 6-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and spray the sides with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar and melted butter.
• Add sifted flour, baking soda and vanilla.
• Divide the batter in half and add cocoa powder into one portion of the batter. Mix well. At this point the batter will be rather dense and that's all right.
• Spread one portion of the batter evenly in the baking pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.*
• Once baked, carefully remove from the pan, spray the sides of the pan with a cooking spray and repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Let the cake layers cool completely on the wire rack.
• Using a long serrated knife, carefully divide each layer in half.

For The Sour Cream Frosting

• In a medium bowl whisk together sour cream and confectioners sugar until smooth.

To assemble

• Line a cake stand with a parchment paper.
• Place the cocoa flavored cake layer on the cake stand and generously spread sour cream frosting on top of it.
• Top it with white cake layer and spread the frosting again.
• Repeat with remaining layers and finish with the generous layer of sour cream frosting on top and sides of the cake.
• Chill the cake for 4-6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, carefully remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake and top the cake with fresh berries.
• Enjoy!

Notes

*The baking time may vary depending on your oven. Sometimes it may take up to an hour for one cake layer to be completely ready.

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Let me know in the comments below if you tried Vanilla Sour Cream Cake before and how did you like it?

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