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My Aunt Anna made this King’s Cake last Thanksgiving. I took a photo of it and posted it, then got a wave of requests for the recipe. 1 year later (ok, that’s more than a little embarrassing), I am finally posting it!
I just found out this is a Russian cake recipe. Korolevsky means King’s, which makes this a royal cake. Russian and Ukrainian people are known for their fantastic cakes. I’m sure you will enjoy this one!
Each cake layer has 1 cup of sour cream so it turns out very soft and moist. If you make the full recipe with all three different layers, it is very time consuming – not difficult – just time consuming.
According to the original recipe, each cake layer is mixed and baked separately (my wonderful husband so kindly washed my KitchenAid 4 times!!) This triple-layer-cake turned out huge and even a thin slice of cake was a lot!
Next time I make this, I will make double the cake portion at once, then divide the batter in half, put poppy seeds in one and walnuts in the other and bake them together in 2 separate cake pans.
This would make a double layer cake instead of a triple. You can also just make a full poppyseed cake or a full walnut cake and it will be just as good.
Ingredients For the Full 3-LAYER King’s Cake
3 cups sugar
3 cups sour cream
3 cups flour *measured correctly
3 tsp baking soda
3 tsp vinegar
1 Tbsp cocoa powder (I used dutch cocoa powder)
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 cup walnuts, toasted & chopped
Ingredients For Frosting:
Cake Prep Instructions:
How to Make Each Cake Layer:
Frosting Instructions:
1. Using a whisk attachment, beat together on high speed the cooked sweetened condensed milk (at room temp) and 2 sticks of butter for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy.
Frost once the cake is cooled to room temperature. If you refrigerate the frosting before using, it may become too stiff and you will need to let it stand 15 to 30 minutes until it’s spreadable.
Russian Korolevsky Cake (King's Cake)
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Full 3-LAYER Cake
- 6 extra large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 cups sour cream
- 3 cups flour
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted & chopped
Ingredients For Frosting:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, cooked and at room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Prep:
- Cake Prep Instructions:
- Grease and generously flour a 9" non-stick cake pan.
- On a dry skillet, over medium-high heat, toast 1 cup of walnuts until lightly golden then chop into small pieces.
How to Make Each Cake Layer: Preheat the Oven to 380 ˚ F (read note before starting)
- In the bowl of an stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar until pale yellow (4 minutes on medium/high speed). Reduce the speed to low and add 1 cup flour. Mix until well-blended.
- Put 1 cup sour cream in a large measuring cup. In a small ramekin, combine 1 tsp baking soda with 1 tsp vinegar. It will fizz up, then stir it right away into the sour cream.
- The sour cream will start to visibly rise. Once you notice it rising, mix it into the cake batter using a spatula.
- In the first cake batter, mix in 1 Tbsp cocoa. Repeat steps 1-3 but In the second cake batter, mix in 2 Tbsp poppy seeds and in the third cake batter, mix in 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake at 380˚F for 20-22 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cake layers cool to room temperature.
- Frost the top of each layer (see frosting instructions below)
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting Instructions:
- Using a whisk attachment, beat together on high speed the cooked sweetened condensed milk and 2 sticks of butter for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy. Frost once the cake is cooled to room temperature.
Notes
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’m wondering if there’s an error in the recipe possibly? I did it as the recipe said but although the toothpick came out clean, when the cake cooled and dropped a bit, in the crack in noticed it was wet. Should the sour cream (wet) ingredients be added after the flour like it says? With baking, you always add wet first then dry right?
Hi Suzy, I have always followed this same method as written and haven’t had that happen. Since not all ovens heat the same way, yours may just need a few more minutes in the oven.
Didn’t turn out well. It was too moist and hard to cut and didn’t taste that great. I followed all the recipe and ingredients
HI Cate, you might check that your leavening is active and not expired. Also, make sure you aren’t overmixing or overbaking the batter, both of which could cause a dense, dry cake.
Hi Natasha,
Would it be okay to use plain condensed milk, and how long did you cook yours for?
Thank you.
Hi Eva, are you referring to an unsweetened condensed milk? If so, I don’t have experience using that in this recipe to advise on the outcome.
Question: Could I substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream and pecans for the walnuts?
I imagine the next best thing would be Greek yogurt – plain and pecans should be fine.
I can’t believe you didn’t cut it to show the layers!! lol crime
We’ve come a long way since posting this recipe in 2010, haha!
Love this cake, Natasha! Do you think I can half the butter and add some cream cheese to the frosting this time? Think it will be ok?
Hi Natasha, I haven’t tested that to advise on the outcome. I always recommend making the recipe as written for the best result. If you experiment of course, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This is the second time Im making this delicious cake for my family! It was SUCH a hit at my son’s birthday party last year that this time I’ve doubled your recipe to make one huge cake! My question is how do I store it overnight? I don’t have a container that fits it. Can it be stored uncovered in the fridge or do I need to cover it so it doesn’t dry out?
Hi Natalia, you can try using saran wrap instead of a container if you don’t have anything big enough. I always like to frost the day of, but this frosting is sturdy enough to stay good overnight. Let it sit at room temp at least 30 minutes to let the frosting soften before serving if you end up refrigerating it.
I’d like to make this cake but am wondering if I could just make two layers, cut them in half, frost them and then reassemble them?Thanks!
Hi Kendall, I haven’t tried that exact method, but I imagine that may work. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
I have made this recipe many times! Its really delicious! Thanks so much. I did not need to wash my mixer and bowls that many times because I have a big wide oven! For the chocolate layer, I would measure out the ingredients separately so I replace the cake flour by abit with cocoa powder.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Lin. I’m glad you loved it!
Looking to make this tomorrow but since we are in quarantine here I can only use what I have on hand. Luckily I have everything except for the poppy seeds. Does it make a big difference to flavour to omit? Thanks!
Hi Susana, I don’t think it would taste too different – those are all just add-ins and it should work without poppy seeds.
Hi Natasha! Love your recipes and recreated a lot of them already. Question for this one – planning to make Korolevsky cake but want to use 2 x12 inch round pans for a bigger cake (2 layers). Just wondering how much I need to increase the amount of ingredients and the baking time per cake. Would it work if I increase each layer by 50%? thanks in advance!
Hi Rita, I have not tested this in a 12″ cake pan. With it being just 2″ tall I worry it may overflow if you double. 1.5 times the recipe may work thought. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
How do I stairs these layers (without cream) overnight? In fridge or panty covered?
Great question, Svetka. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use.
I tend to love “pain in the butt” recipes, so this is a gotta do. I can just imagine this cake 3 stories high fully covered in icing and nuts…truly a King’s Cake…downright crown like. Do you think doubling the icing would be sufficient to do the entire cake?
thanks
Bill
Hi Bill, I haven’t test that to advise but I imagine that should work!
Hi!
If you double the recipe do you have to double the sugar also?
Hi Nicol, This cake is best when each layer is made separately and yes I would double all of the ingredients proportionally but still make the layers separately.
Nevermind! When I went back and checked the comments, there it was at the top this time??? Now, I’m thinking it must have been another string of comments I read and not yours! Great explanation on the cooked condensed milk. Also, they sell it precooked in the US. It’s called caramel Eagle Brand milk.
I’m happy you found that!
Lots of comments and I read a great number of them, before deciding to ask about the frosting directions, which mention “cooked” sweetened condensed milk. No instructions as to how it should be cooked. Is this a mistake? If not, please advise. I want to bake this cake Saturday for Epiphany celebration.
Hi Elaine, you can find that here.