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This Spartak cake is pure awesomeness! Really! You can make the spartak cake layers up to a week early. I love that; especially when you are cooking up a storm for an event. Wouldn’t it be pure awesomeness (I already said that) if your dessert was already done and it gets better with age, just like a good cheese; except it should sit closer to 10 hours, not 10 months or it may grow a mowhawk.
This recipe for Spartak Cake is brought to you by my Mama; the woman whose taste in food I inherited. Mom uses 3 springform pans so she is working on a layer while the other two are baking; efficiency!
Theoretically, you could use a dinner plate to cut-out a circle of the dough and then place it on a non-stick floured cookie sheet to bake. Please don’t panic over the pictures; my mom doubles all of the ingredients and turns out 3 cakes in one evening (superwoman). So, the photos show double all of the ingredients for the Spartak Cake.
This recipe can make 2 shorter cakes, or 1 tall cake. You end up with about 10 layers if they are 9 inches in diameter. If making 2 cakes, each would have 4-5 layers (5 if you use graham crackers for crumbs), or one tall cake with 8-9 layers (with one layer for crumbs mixed with graham crackers).
Mom always likes to add at least a couple crushed graham crackers to the crumb mix. It makes the whole cake tastier and pahuchye (fragrant). Enjoy it!
What you will need for Spartak Cake:
preferably 2 springform pans and a cookie cutter
Ingredients for Spartak Cake:
1 egg
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temp
6 Tbsp (or 1/3 cup) milk, warmed to room temp
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour *measured correctly
2-3 graham crackers (optional)
Ingredients for Spartak Cream:
2 sticks (16 Tbsp) butter, softened at room temp
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz package cream cheese, softened at room temp
8 oz tub cool whip, fully thawed (or make your own by beating 1 cup of whipping cream with 1.5 Tbsp powdered sugar)
How to Make Spartak Cake Layers:
1. Beat together 1 egg and 1 cup sugar (whisk attachment, medium speed, 6 minutes). I know the photo shows two eggs, but its because we were doubling the recipe when we made it. So, yes it is just 1 egg.
2. Add softened butter, warm milk, and baking soda. Mix on medium speed 1 minute, until smooth.
2. Bring a medium/large pot of water to a boil. Place mixture in a glass bowl or medium sauce pan over boiling water for 10 minutes, stirring constantly (if making a double portion, do 20 minutes since it takes longer to heat up). It should just be hanging out over the steam and not floating in the water.
3. Remove from heat and immediately mix in 2 cups flour and mix well. (Don’t wait to add flour or you will single-handedly destroy the cake)
Preheat the Oven to 350˚ F.
Let stand 20 minutes until it is just warm; it thickens as it cools: Note: It’s easier to roll out the dough while it’s still warm
4. Dust flour over your non-stick surface (I wish I had my mom’s countertops!) Sprinkle flour over the dough as well so it wont’ stick to your rolling pin. Roll out a heaping tablespoon of dough on a nonstick surface into about a 10-inch round. It should not be sticking to the surface.
5. Generously dust the base of the springform pan with flour.
6. Place the rolled out dough over the base of the springform pan, run a pizza cutter around it. It’s ready to bake.
7. Mix the scraps of dough with some fresh dough and roll it out again. Don’t waste those scraps!
8. Bake at 350˚F until it turns golden (4-5 minutes). You can slide the cake layers off right away and continue on, but Don’t touch the top of the cake layer while its still hot, or you will indent it like I did – whoops!
Note: If one of your layers, is exceptionally oogly, don’t fret. Remember, you will take a rolling pin to one of them and make crumbs.
Notes: do not try to trim your cake layers after they are baked; they will crack.
How to Make the cream/frosting:
1. Using whisk attachment on electric mixer, beat together 2 packages butter and 1 can sweetened condensed milk on medium speed for 7 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary
2. Mix in the softened cream cheese 1 chunk at a time until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary (2-3 minutes
3. On low speed, mix in the cool whip (or whipped cream) until well blended.
Assembling the Cake:
1. Set one cake layer aside for crumbs (or use graham crackers) – or you can mix like we did. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the first layer (enough to cover the surface) and go all the way to the edges.
2. Place the next layer on top. Frost and repeat this until you finish all the layers. Frost the sides and even out the frosting everywhere. Push down the layers in between so you don’t have gaps of air between your layers.
3. Crush the cake layer you set aside as well as the optional graham cracker.
4. Generously sprinkle the crumbs over the top. Cup handfuls of crumbs and pat them onto the sides of the cake.
5. Transfer to a pretty serving dish and refrigerate overnight (it should sit at least 10 hours for the layers to soften).
Thank you Mama for being patient with me while I took a million pictures. I love you Mom!!
Mom's Spartak Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temp
- 6 Tbsp or 1/3 cup milk, warmed to room temp
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 2-3 graham crackers, optional
- 2 sticks, 16 Tbsp butter, softened at room temp
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened at room temp
- 8 oz tub cool whip, fully thawed
Instructions
- Beat together 1 egg and 1 cup sugar (whisk attachment, medium speed, 6 minutes).
- Add softened butter, warm milk, and baking soda. Mix on medium speed 1 minute, until smooth.
- Bring a medium/large pot of water to a boil. Place mixture in a glass bowl or medium sauce pan over boiling water for 10 minutes, stirring constantly (if making a double portion, do 20 minutes since it takes longer to heat up). It should just be hanging out over the steam and not floating in the water.
- Remove from heat and immediately mix in 2 cups flour and mix well. (Don't wait to add flour or you will single-handedly destroy the cake). Let dough stand 20 minutes until it is just warm; it thickens as it cools: Note: It's easier to roll out the dough while it's still warm. While dough rests, preheat the Oven to 350°F.
- Dust flour over your non-stick surface. Sprinkle flour over the dough as well so it wont' stick to your rolling pin. Roll out a heaping tablespoon of dough on a nonstick surface into about a 10-inch round. It should not be sticking to the surface.
- Generously dust the base of the springform pan with flour. Place the rolled out dough over the base of the springform pan, run a pizza cutter around it. It's ready to bake.
- Mix the scraps of dough with some fresh dough and roll it out again. Don't waste those scraps!
- Bake at 350°F. until it turns golden (4-5 minutes). Remove cake layers from the baking pan righta way but Don't touch the top of the cake layer while its still hot, or you will indent it. Notes: do not try to trim your cake layers after they are baked; they will crack.
How to Make the cream/frosting:
- Using whisk attachment, beat together 2 packages butter and 1 can sweetened condensed milk on medium speed for 7 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Mix in the softened cream cheese 1 chunk at a time until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary (2-3 minutes)
- On low speed, mix in the cool whip (or whipped cream) until well blended.
Assembling the Cake:
- Set one cake layer aside for crumbs (or use graham crackers) - or you can mix like we did.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting over the first layer (enough to cover the surface) and go all the way to the edges.
- Place the next layer on top. Frost and repeat this until you finish all the layers. Frost the sides and even out the frosting everywhere. Push down the layers in between so you don't have gaps of air between your layers.
- Crush the cake layer you set aside as well as the optional graham cracker. Generously sprinkle over the top than cup handfuls of crumbs and pat them onto the sides of the cake. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate overnight (it should sit at least 10 hours for the layers to soften).
Super delicious cake… just melts in your mouth. I did have some problems with dough being too sticky and ripping but at the end cake still turned out amazing. Everybody loved it, especially my hubby 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! My mom actually came over and we made it together! Can’t wait to try it! The crumbs were delicious, made me want to break up a layer and just eat it!
How fun! Let me know how it turned out. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I love your blog, everything tastes awesome, 1 question in Spartak cake, should condensed milk be cooked or just straight out of the can?
Thanks,
E
HI Elina, just use it straight out of the can. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I discovered this cake on your website about 2 weeks ago… Since then, I have made it 4 times!!! 🙂 It is my favorite cake, now my dad’s favorite, and my brother’s favorite!! I also made this for a bake sale we had at work last night and oh my goodness, my co-workers were in love! Some even said this was the BEST dessert they ever had!! Thanks so much for your blog! I always look forward to your posts 🙂
Oksana, that’s so awesome!! What a great success story. Thank you for sharing. My mom will love hearing that! 🙂
I loved this cake and it will be my go-to to cake from now on! my uncle, who does not like sweets or dessert in general ate 2 slices! Thanx for a great post! Looking forward to more of your amazing cake recipes;);)
That’s awesome!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I tried this cake with the cocoa this time and I loved the presentation of how it looks with the chocolate layers. It is definetly better the 3rd day or so!
Now I really really want to do a chocolate one!! I better go find a piece of chocolate to stick in my mouth. You’ve created a craving. Thanks alot!
quick question. I was making this cake and noticed that your picture has 2 eggs with sugar, but the recipe says 1 egg…..so is it 1 or 2 eggs? I did 2 eggs, was following the picture.
Laura, I mentioned in the second paragraph that the photos are for double the recipe. So it’s just one egg. I’ll go back and put that in bold so people aren’t missing it. Thanks Laura.
I made this cake yesterday, and it turned out AMAZING! And pretty easy to make – probably took me a bit more than an hour. I rolled the layers on foil and baked them two at a time since they are pretty small. The cake came out really moist and light and not too sweet, so it’s my new favorite! Thank you so much Natasha!
That’s awesome! I’m glad you liked it. I’ll tell my Mom too; she’ll be happy to hear its your new fav 🙂
I made this cake yesterday , it was very good, thank you for the recipe.
this was delicious and so easy! i’d love to make a chocolate version, if you know how, please do share. spasibo!
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake 🙂 Add 1 to 1.5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa to the dough after adding the flour for a chocolate spartak.
Beautiful blog natasha! I am excited to make this cake today, been looking for a good recipe and came across yours,thank you 🙂
i was also wondering if you have a recipe of a cake with a hazelnut cream? i tried a simple biskvit cake at a wedding with an amazing gentle hazelnut cream(and im wondering if anyone knows what they use -syrup or actual hazelnuts added to cream?) if anyone knows please let me know! thank you 🙂
I don’t, but I’d like to know if you find out. I’ll be on the lookout for that recipe 🙂
I made a Hungarian hazelnut torte (from epicurious), if you like buttercream frostings then try it out, it does use 2 sticks of butter, and it has actual hazelnuts you mix in. I found the cake itself to be eh, but the buttercream might be better on a biskvit, if you soak the biskvit first in liqeuor or something.
mmm. Sounds nice 🙂
So I made the spartak, katerinas tres leches cakes, and like i said the pizza as well..turned out perfect..i can’t wait to try the cakes tomorrow.
Wow!! You are on a roll! 🙂
thank you soo much..i am very exited….i am half way done.yey
Let me know what you think. 🙂
Hello I made the chicken garlic pizza and everybody loved it..I am making this cake now and I was wondering how many layers does this come out to or how many cookies does it make? thanks
This recipe makes 10 layers (2 shorter cakes or 1 really tall one).
Thank you for this wonderful receipe!! What a great cake! I made it for Sunday lunch at my in-laws and it was gone by the end of the evening! The kids and everyone else loved it! I enjoy your receipes and have tried many of them! Yum!! By the way, I tried a similar cake in the past and found an easier way to roll out the dough thin without it breaking. I cut out the shape of the cake with parchment paper. Then I sprinkle flour on the paper as well as on the dough. Its easier to roll it out without it breaking and no need to transport it after. I bake it with the parchment and the dough comes off perfect after its baked. Thanks again!
~Irina
Thank you Irina! I will try that when I make it at home next time since my counter tops are less than ideal.
Hi Natasha, cake looks amazing. Love it. I make it witch chocolate layers, white cream and hazelnuts.
I will defiantly try yours. 🙂
I’d like to try the chocolate one some day. It was in my mom’s recipe book to add cocoa (optional), but I think she loves this one so much, she’s never tried the chocolate version.
This cake is my favorite ever! Do u know what else is my favorite? When I end up eating the whole thing and then go hide and cry because I’m such a fatty fat fat
Oh shush. You are my sister so I can go ahead and tell you to shush. Yes, I do love this cake too! Now you can make Mom’s cake anytime you want to. You will always have the recipe and so will your children and their children. Pretty sweet huh?
Do you gotta put that rounder around springform base or can you just bake the bottom?
You just need the base of the springform 🙂
So good and no leftovers:)
This looks a bit difficult. Is it?
I’d say yes, but once you do it once, you will be a pro! It’s more difficult than the biskvit cakes but it’s worth it.
Can you soften butter in microwave?
My mom did this time as a last resort, but it worked anyway! Slice the butter and put it on for 10 seconds, then check it; it melts pretty quickly. You don’t want it to melt, just soften. Hope that helps.