The Best Chocolate Spartak Cake (Authentic Recipe!)
This is the best Spartak Cake ever featuring many thin layers of delightful chocolate cake with smooth and delicate frosting. It's a classic Slavic dessert!
Start by measuring and sifting the dry ingredients namely flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk them together. Set this bowl aside until we're ready to use it later.
Next, prepare a water bath by pouring water into a saucepan. Make sure this saucepan fits under your KitchenAid mixer, then bring the water to a boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, beat the eggs along with two and a half cups sugar on high for 5 minutes. It should be light, fluffy, and pale yellow in color.
Now add one cup milk, vanilla, and softened butter cut into cubes into the mixer bowl with the egg mixture.
Reduce the water bath heat to medium-high heat and place the mixer bowl over the saucepan with boiling water. Make sure that the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Cook the mixture for 8 minutes while stirring constantly using a silicone spatula. The consistency will thin out at first and then start foaming and doubling in size.
Remove the mixer bowl from the heat and immediately add in the mixture of dry ingredients we made earlier.
Using a firm silicone spatula, mix the hot foamy wet mixture with the dry mixture from the bottom of the bowl upward until well combined. It should have a smooth and stretchy consistency when it's fully mixed.
Set the dough aside and cool it to room temperature for about 30 minutes or so before working with it. The dough will thicken as it cools.
How to Shape Spartak Cake Layers
Using a silicone spatula, scoop and weigh out 8 oz. of the dough. I recommend being precise with the measurement for even layers.
Sprinkle flour over the dough and place it over a floured surface of parchment paper dusted with more flour. This way, the dough won't stick to your rolling pin. Next, flatten it into a disc.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out flat, working from the center outward. Flip the disc over from the bottom side up just like you would with some pizza dough. Dust the paper with additional flour if the dough gets sticky and roll it until it's spread out ¼ inch beyond your preferred cutting form.
Place the round disc (I use the bottom disc of a springform pan) over the rolled-out dough. Then, using a pizza cutter, cut along the perimeter of the disk. In case the dough gets stuck to the pizza cutter, dust it with more flour.
NOTE: I use an 8" inch disk to cut out 8 oz. of rolled-out dough for tall cakes (the layers will be thicker) or a 10" disk to cut out 8 oz. of rolled-out dough for shorter cakes. The look is up to you, however thick or thin you like your layers. You can even make a 12" wide in diameter using the same amount (8 oz.) of dough.
I use a large sheet (16 x 24) of parchment paper when making my layers and roll and bake 2 layers at a time.
After 2 layers of dough are ready to bake, transfer the parchment paper by sliding it onto a cookie baking sheet.
How to Bake Spartak Cake Layers
Time to bake our cake layers! Bake the layers in a preheated oven at 350 F for 8 minutes. While the cake layers are baking, repeat the rolling instructions above to make 2 more layers.
Once done, remove the layers from the oven and slide the parchment paper with baked layers onto the countertop. Let them cool for 5 mins before transferring them to a cooling rack. Immediately place the second set of rolled-out cake layers into the oven and repeat the same baking instructions.
Next, using a cake spatula, separate the baked cake layers from the parchment paper by running it under the layer and gently. Transfer the layers onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. The layers will be pretty soft after baking so be careful not to chip or break them during the transfer process.
NOTE: I use 3 sheets of parchment paper and rotate them. While the first set of layers is cooling down and the second is baking, I roll out the next layers on the third sheet. I repeat these rotation steps until all the cake layers are baked.
How to Make Butter Cream Frosting
While all the chocolate cake layers are cooling, let's make the frosting.
Start by beating softened butter until creamy and smooth, which takes about a minute or so. Add softened cream cheese and beat again until both are well combined, about another minute. Scrape the cream off the sides of the mixer bowl halfway through beating.
Next, add condensed milk and beat again for another minute, scraping the cream off the sides of the mixer bowl halfway through mixing.
Then add vanilla and salt and mix again for another minute.
Finally, add cold heavy cream. Start beating the cream slowly on low, then gradually increase the mixing speed to medium. Again, scrape the cream off the bowl multiple times to ensure all the ingredients are well-mixed.
As the heavy whipping cream combines with the buttercream it will liquefy more. The frosting will thicken during the mixing process. Make sure to not overbeat the frosting! As soon as it starts to hold its shape the frosting is ready.
How to Assemble Spartak Cake
Place the first chocolate cake layer onto a cake stand. Personally, I use one that's 2" wider than the cake layers. Using a ½ cup ice cream scoop, scoop 3 scoops of frosting and spread it out evenly over the cake layer.
Place the second chocolate cake layer over the frosting and repeat the same scooping and spreading instructions until you're done frosting all the cake layers.
Using the remaining cream, frost the sides and the top of the cake.
NOTE: Because this cake is almost 6" inches tall and the frosting is not very thick, you need to frost the cake carefully for the layers to stay in place and not slide off or lean.
As soon as you're done frosting the cake, gently transfer the cake into the fridge for the buttercream frosting to harden. Chill it for at least 4 hours, but overnight is preferable.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and place them in a glass bowl. Add milk and place the bowl over a saucepan with 1" of water.
Place the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
When the water boils, reduce the heat to low and mix the milk with the chocolate. Stir it frequently until it has a smooth texture with no lumps.
Carefully remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside for the ganache to cool to room temperature.
If the ganache gets too thick you can soften it with warm milk to the desired dripping consistency.
How to Make Whipped Cream Frosting
Beat cold heavy cream with powdered sugar just until it thickens and you get stiff peaks. Don't overbeat the cream or you'll end up with butter! Set it aside until ready to use.
How to Decorate Spartak Cake
NOTE: If you want to crumb the cake instead of decorating it, simply roll out the dough of the last chocolate cake layer very thinly and bake it for 15 minutes. The layer will dry out and be great for crushing into crumbs.
Spread out the cream frosting over the sides of the cake evenly. Using a cake icing smoother, engrave the design on the sides of the cake.
Transfer half of the ganache into a ganache bottle and make drips all around the cake. Then pour the rest of the ganache on top of the cake. Using a regular cake spatula, make a swirly design on top of the cake.
NOTE: I prefer to place the cake in the freezer for a while before decorating it with chocolate ganache. This helps the ganache stick to the whipping cream frosting faster.
Pipe some roses or any desired design, place fresh strawberries over the roses, garnish with mint leaves, and your delicious Spartak cake is ready to serve!