Spartak cake is a chocolate layer cake popular in the former Soviet Union. It’s still a highly-rated Ukrainian dessert made with thin layers of sponge cake, a luscious cream filling, and glossy chocolate ganache. This is the best Spartak cake recipe for its halved preparation time and makes the perfect chocolate cake for the upcoming holidays!
This 8-layer chocolate cake recipe is amazing! If you enjoy Eastern European desserts, try our other popular 8-layer honey cake, Medovik.
What is Spartak Cake?
I’m surprised that Wiki has nothing on Spartak cake history in English, especially since this cake is so popular in Russia and Ukraine!
There is something about layer cakes in Ukrainian culture that are all-time favorite classics, like the Napoleon Cake and Medovik Honey Cake.
Spartak is a widely known dessert popular for its thin chocolate layers and tall appearance. Spartak chocolate cake consists of soft chocolate sponge layers, a condensed milk cream frosting, and chocolate ganache topping.
Easy Chocolate Spartak Cake:
Truth be told, I was never a fan of Spartak Cake until I tried this chocolate Spartak cake recipe! Generally, this cake is prepared similarly to a Medovik cake, which can be a lengthy process. The tedious process of making these thin wafer-like layers oftentimes requires a double boiler and relies on the cream to soften the cake.
This version of Spartak cake is way easier! It makes soft sponge cake layers from the start that melt in your mouth after sitting in frosting! No double boiler or tedious steps involved and the dough is like playing with playdough–super flexible!
The flavors are so on point, and this dessert isn’t overly sweet.
It can stay in the fridge for days if you want to make it in advance for a special occasion, and it only improves as it sits!
I’m so excited to share this cake, Spartak! A huge thank you to Olya, who shared the recipe with our family! She created this Spartak recipe by combining the best of her Spartak knowledge and aiming to accomplish the whole prep within an hour!
This makes this Ukrainian Spartak cake super approachable. It’s made and frosted all on the same day, and the flavor outweighs all the others I’ve ever tried or bought!
Most of all, my husband loves this dessert, who is not much of a cake lover. He only likes a few cakes, of which this one is on top! You will love this chocolate honey cake, and even the children go for this one!
Chocolate Spartak Ingredients:
The main ingredients in Spartak cake are flour, eggs, sugar, honey, cocoa, and condensed milk.
- Cake Batter: is made of milk, butter, honey, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, baking soda, and flour. The eggs are beaten first with sugar then the following ingredients follow.
- Chocolate Spartak Cream (Cream Frosting): sweetened condensed milk, mascarpone cheese, Cool Whip, and heavy whipping cream.
- Chocolate Ganache: melt butter in a saucepan and add the broken-up chocolate bar to melt. Whisk in the heavy cream until you have the desired consistency.
How To Make Spartak Cake:
You will be surprised how easy it is to work with this dough! The consistency of the cake batter is like a soft playdough-type dough. It’s so easy to roll out and is flexible if you need to pinch off a piece to make a better circle. The best part is how quickly the prep goes—you can bake and frost this cake within 2 hours!
I like to have four sheets of parchment paper going and bake one layer at a time while I roll out the rest. I use the bottom of my 10-inch springform pan to cut out the circles.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut four sheets of parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the Spartak cake batter; it should be like soft playdough-type dough.
- Divide the dough into eight equal pieces.
- Place each piece of dough onto parchment paper and roll out to a large 10-inch circle. Trim it by placing a large plate or pan over the circle and trim off any excess dough. Place the trimmings into the next piece and repeat.
- Prick the surface with a fork so the cake layers bake evenly.
- Bake each cake layer for 5 minutes.
- Invert each cake layer over a cooling rack and reuse the parchment paper for the remaining cake layers. The paper should peel off easily.
- Make the cream frosting by beating the mascarpone cheese and sweetened condensed milk; then add the Cool Whip and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form, and add to the condensed milk mixture.
- Frost the cake and chill until cold before pouring over the ganache.
Storing:
Spartak cake is very forgiving. If you want to make the cake layers ahead of time, you can bake all of them and store them wrapped in plastic wrap until needed. The cake layers can be frozen for up to 3 months or refrigerated for 4-5 days. I typically bake and frost Chocolate Spartak cake in one shot and then keep it in the fridge assembled and wrapped until serving.
The assembled cake can be kept in the fridge for 4-6 days and is freezer-friendly for up to 4 months. For super-soft layers, keep Spartak refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving.
Tips for Chocolate Spartak Cake:
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder through a sieve before adding them to the cake batter. This prevents clumps of flour in the cake layers.
- Always assemble the cake with cooled cake layers when frosting. DO NOT frost the cake with warm layers.
- This is a no-cook batter recipe! Many Spartak recipes require a double boiler to make the cake layers, but not this recipe! Just mix in the ingredients in the order given for the best results.
- Prick the cake with a fork all over so it can bake more evenly.
- For a taller cake, cut out smaller circles.
- This cake recipe can make 8 or 9 cake layers depending on the flour used.
- Do not overbake the cake layers; 4-5 minutes of baking time is sufficient for soft layers.
- Make this cake with freshly milled flour; use 705 grams of soft white wheat.
More Ukrainian Cake Recipes:
If you love more chocolate cake recipes try our Curly Ivan Cake (Russian Tea cake) or our choclate cherry cake!
Spartak Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 10-inch plate or bottom of springform pan (to cut out circles for layers)
- 4 sheets of parchment paper (reuse for the other layers)
- 1 cookie sheet
Ingredients
Cake Layers:
- 3/4 cup milk
- 120 grams butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Baking soda (quenched in 1 Tbsp of vinegar)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Frosting:
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- 8 oz Cool Whip
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Ganache:
- 7 oz chocolate (I used two 3.5 oz dark chocolate bars)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare four sheets of parchment paper; set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and pour into the cold milk. Stir in the honey and set the mixture aside.- Vigorously whisk the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl until slightly pale.
- Stir in the milk mixture. Then, whisk in the baking soda mixture and add the cocoa powder; whisk well.
- Mix in 4 cups and 2 tbsp of flour using your hands to make a soft dough. Reserve the rest for rolling out. I like to wear gloves.
- Divide the batter into eight pieces and form each piece into a ball.
- Place the dough ball onto parchment paper and roll it into a 10-inch circle. Place a plate over the top, trim any excess pieces, and use them for the next dough ball.
- Prick the top with a fork.
- Bake each cake layer for 5 minutes. Invert over a cooling rack and reuse the parchment for the remaining cake layers. Cool all layers.
- TO MAKE CREAM: beat the condensed milk and cheese until creamy; beat in the Cool Whip and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the mixture together. Frost all cake layers.
- GANACHE TOPPING: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the broken-up chocolate bar and melt over medium-low heat. Whisk in the heavy cream and slightly cool before pouring over the top of the cake.
Notes
- I like to chill the cake after frosting so the chocolate ganache sticks better. You can freeze the cake for 30 minutes or refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.
- Don't add too much flour; the cake layers will be more dry, like cookies. If the dough seems too sticky, let it sit for 10 minutes to hydrate, and then work with it again. Kitchen gloves work great!
- Pricking the cake layer all over the top before baking helps the cake layers bake more evenly, as some areas tend to puff up.
- I like to slightly cool my cake layers on parchment paper before inverting them so they don't break.
- If you prefer the ganache to be more runny, add 1/4 cup more heavy cream. You can also spread the ganache around the sides with a cake spatula for chocolate sides.
Nutrition per serving
