Smetannik-Russian Sour Cream Cake- Сметанник

 Smooth and delicious Russian cake. It has four different cake layers with two different kinds of filling and a touch of Amaretto and Coffee Liqueurs.  Thin slice is all you need to enjoy this rich cake;  it’s very presentable and pretty. For all of you out there. Enjoy!

 Serves: 8-10
 
Ingredients:
Cake Batter:
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
2 cups flour-all-purpose
1.5 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. white Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1/2 cup prunes
1/2 cup walnuts- crushed 

Sour cream filling:
2 cups sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp. Amaretto Liqueur
 
Buttercream filling:
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. Coffee Liqueur
 
Chocolate Ganache
3/4 cup melting chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. butter
 
*** Liqueurs are optional
 

Direction:
We will have total of four different cake layers. One will be with walnuts, second with poppy seeds, third one with cocoa powder and the fourth one will be with prunes. We do bake them separately, so if you got four 8 inch round baking pans that’s perfect, but I have only two so I baked them two at a time.
Buttercream filling:
In a saucepan mix egg yolks, milk and sugar- on low heat bring to a boil.  Simmer for 2 minutes, mix frequently.  Turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
With electric mixer on medium- high speed beat the butter with coffee liqueur. It will get fluffy.  Slowly pour in the cooled egg mixture, beat for another 2 minutes. Transfer half of the buttercream into pastry bag with star tip; and other half set aside for the decoration.
 
Preheat oven to 350°F
Batter:
Place poppy seeds and prunes into two separate bowls, pour over each bowl one cup of boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes. Then drain them; coarsely chop prunes.
With electric mixer on medium speed beat eggs with sugar until you get a light yellow color, for about 2-3 minutes. Lower the speed to low and add sour cream, vanilla and mix until incorporated. In a separate little bowl mix baking soda and vinegar (this will carbonate the soda so that you won’t taste it) and stir into the batter mixture. Gradually add flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the batter into four equal portions.  Add cocoa powder to the first batter portion, add crushed walnuts to second portion, add prunes to the third batter portion, and lastly add in poppy seeds to the last portion.
Bake each layer separately in 8 inch round greased pans until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Let them cool.

Sour Cream filling:
Mix together sour cream, vanilla extract, sugar and Amaretto liqueur.
Assembling the cake:
Place one of the cake layers into the bottom of springform, spread about 1/2 cup of the sour cream filling on the top of the cake layer, spread some buttercream filling on top (I used my pastry bag but you can spread with spoon or knife too) place second cake layer on top and spread another 1/2 a cup of the sour cream filling; repeat the process until your finish your layers. *** Don’t apply buttercream on top of the cake.

So my order was like this: Cake Layers with poppy seeds, sour cream filling, buttercream filling, Cake Layer with walnuts, sour cream filling, butter cream filling, Chocolate Cake Layer, sour cream filling, butter cream filling, Cake Layer with prunes and sour cream filling.

Refrigerate it for 3 hours.
Open springform, remove cake from the form and place on cake platter.

Chocolate Ganache:
In a small bowl combine butter and chocolate, place the bowl over a double boiler or microwave and cook until it’s melted. Pour melted mixture into zip-bag, cut very small on one corner. Make lines vertically and horizontally so you will get little squares.

Place rest of the buttercream into the pastry bag with star tip and make vertical lines on sides of the cake.

And finely decorate the top with piping some buttercream around the edge.

 
Enjoy with your favorite coffee!!!