Spartak Cake Recipe
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!
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 Facts
Spartak Cake Recipe
Serving Size
1 slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
621
% Daily Value*
Fat
35
g
54
%
Saturated Fat
22
g
138
%
Trans Fat
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
8
g
Cholesterol
107
mg
36
%
Sodium
261
mg
11
%
Potassium
298
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
71
g
24
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
41
g
46
%
Protein
10
g
20
%
Vitamin A
1091
IU
22
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
162
mg
16
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
