Russian Cherry Layer Cake
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My mother-in-law gave me the recipe for this Russian cherry layer cake over the phone and I made it for New Years. It’s the same basic biskvit recipe that I love so much.
I just can’t resist a moist cake! There’s a surprise layer in this cake: crumbled chocolate cake with cherries and cream. The frosting for this cake is only 2 ingredients. It’s easy and cool-whip free (for the cool whip haters – you know who you are!) I love how light the frosting tastes and it’s not overly sweet. This cake was a winner!
It’s 12:29 am and I need to go to bed. It’s never a good idea to post recipes this late, but Russian Christmas is coming up (January 7th) and I thought you just might like to try a new cake!
Ingredients for Russian cherry layer cake:
15 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 and 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour *measured correctly
3 Tbsp cocoa powder (I used dutch cocoa)
Ingredients for Syrup:
21 oz country cherry pie filling/ topping
1 3/4 cups cold water
1 Tbsp sugar
Ingredients for Frosting:
1 can sweetened condensed milk (boiled 4 hours in crock pot on high)
3 cups cold heavy whipping cream
Chocolate shavings and cordial cherries for decor, optional
Cake Layers How-To:
Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Line 2 (13×9) non-stick rectangular baking pans with wax paper.
Line a round cake pan with wax paper.
1. Mix egg yolks with sugar until well blended. Add flour and mix until well blended.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed 2-3 minutes (i did 2 1/2 min) until fluffy and about 3 times in volume. Don’t beat till it’s stiff or it won’t blend well.
3. Us a spatula to fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites.
4. Place 1/3 of the mixture in a medium bowl and gently stir in the cocoa powder until evenly blended.
5. Pour chocolate cake batter into a round cake pan.
6. Divide remaining cake batter between the 2 lined baking pans.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 23-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I put all three cakes in at once with the two racks in the center of the oven and rotated the cakes half-way through baking.
8. When cakes are finished baking, take them out of their pans and quickly run a sharp spatula under the cake to separate it from the wax paper. If you wait until the cakes cool, the wax paper will be harder to pry off. Let cakes cool to room temperature.
Syrup How-to:
1. Pour the can of cherries into a medium bowl and add 1 3/4 cups water. Mix well to thin the syrup.
2. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon or colander and squeeze out any excess juice from the cherries. You will mix these into the center of the cake.
3. Add 1 Tbsp sugar to the cherry juice. This is your syrup.
Frosting How-to:
1. Cook sweetened condensed milk ahead of time since it needs time to cool to room temperature. Click here for instructions on how to cook it with the crockpot method.
2. For best results with whipping cream, your cream should be very cold. Also, freeze the mixing bowl you plan to use for beating the cream along with the whisk attachment. I Put my kitchenaid and whisk attachment in the freezer 10-15 minutes.
3. Pour cold whipping cream into your cold mixing bowl and beat on high speed until stiff (sorry forgot to time it, I wanna say 3 min or so?)
4. Once cream is thick, reduce to the lowest speed and add your cooked sweetened condensed milk 1 Tbsp at a time until well blended. I blended it some more with a spatula.
5. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.
Assembling the Cake How-to:
1. Place the first white cake layer face down on the dish you plan to serve the cake on.
2. Pour 1/2 of the syrup evenly over the cake layer. Let it soak in while you proceed to step three.
3. Crumble the chocolate cake in a medium bowl and add the strained cherries and 1/3 of the frosting. Use a spatula to cut into the mixture to stir it.
4. Spread the chocolate cherry mixture over the first cake layer.
5. Place the second cake layer face down on top of the cherry mixture and pour the remaining syrup evenly over the cake layer. Let it soak in for 10 minutes or so.
6. Trim the sides with a serrated knife if necessary and spread frosting over the top and sides.
7. Decorate to your hearts delight. I finely grated chocolate over the whole cake and used cordial cherries to make holly which was my brilliant sister, Tanya’s idea). Keep cake refrigerated until serving. It stays yummy in the fridge for at least 3 days.
Russian Cherry Layer Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for Russian cherry cake:
- 15 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 and 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
Ingredients for Syrup:
- 21 oz country cherry pie filling/ topping
- 1 3/4 cups cold water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Ingredients for Frosting:
- 1 can cooked sweetened condensed milk, i.e. can dulche de leche
- 3 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate shavings and cordial cherries for decor, optional
Instructions
How to Make Biskvit Cake Layers:
- Mix egg yolks with sugar until well blended. Add flour and mix until well blended.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed 2-3 minutes until fluffly and about 3 times in volume. Don't beat till it's stiff or it won't blend well. Use a spatula to fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites.
- Place 1/3 of the mixture in a medium bowl and gently stir in the cocoa powder until evenly blended. Pour chocolate cake batter into a round cake pan.
- Divide remaining cake batter between the 2 lined baking pans.
- Bake all three cakes in the center of the oven for 23-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When finished baking, remove from their pans and quickly run a sharp spatula under the cake to separate it from the wax paper. If you wait until the cakes cool, the wax paper will be harder to pry off. Let cakes cool to room temperature.
Making the Cherries/Syrup and Frosting:
- Pour the can of cherries into a medium bowl and add 1 3/4 cups water. Mix well to thin the syrup. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon or colander and squeeze out any excess juice from the cherries (reserve the juice). You will mix these into the center of the cake. Add 1 Tbsp sugar to the reserved cherry juice. This is your syrup.
- For best results with whipping cream, your cream should be very cold. Also, freeze the mixing bowl you plan to use for beating the cream along with the whisk attachment for 10 - 15 min. Pour cold whipping cream into your cold mixing bowl and beat on high speed until stiff, around 3 min. Once cream is thick, reduce to the lowest speed and add your cooked sweetened condensed milk 1 Tbsp at a time until well blended. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.
Assembling the Cake:
- Place the first white cake layer face down on the dish you plan to serve the cake on. Pour 1/2 of the syrup evenly over the cake layer. Let it soak in.
- Crumble the chocolate cake in a medium bowl and add the strained cherries and 1/3 of the frosting. Use a spatula to cut into the mixture to stir it.
- Spread the chocolate cherry mixture over the first cake layer.
- Place the second cake layer face down on top of the cherry mixture and pour the remaining syrup evenly over the cake layer. Let it soak in for 10 minutes or so. Trim the sides with a serrated knife if necessary.
- Spread frosting over the top and sides. Decorate and keep cake refrigerated until serving. It stays yummy in the fridge for at least 3 days.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Can I use maraschino cherries instead?
Hi, we love the tanginess of fresh or frozen cherries. Maraschino would completely change the flavor profile and would be very sweet but if that is all you have available and if you enjoy their flavor, that could work.
Hi natasha. I want to make this cake and I dont have heavy cream, can I substitute with cool whip?
Hi Valentina, I haven’t tried that substitution here. In the past when using cool whip, I used this recipe for frosting and it worked well.
Do you think you could put the layers back into the 13×9 pan and just decorate the top? Or would it end up too tall? I’m thinking of making it and transporting it to an outdoor party and don’t want to worry about it sliding off the platter!
Hi Anya, I think that would work well to put it back into the pan. 🙂
Do you think I can make the biskvit without separating the eggs, would it still work?
Hi Yelena, yes!! I have been making my sponge cakes that way lately all the time. Here is our basic sponge cake for the new method we use.
Ok Awesome thanks! I have another question, At the Russian store I saw canned sour cherries in syrup, but the syrup is thin Unlike the thick country cherry filling. Anyways I bought both and I wanted to ask if it’s ok if I use the Russian cherries would it still be ok? Thank you again 🙂
Hi Yelena, yes absolutely those would work great and you can use the juice in the jar to soak the cake layers. Should taste great! 🙂
How would you do it with the new regular sponge cake recipe? Would you just put cherries without the chocolate layer in the middle?
Hi Sveta! I’m not sure what you mean. Have you seen this version of the cherry cake? This might be helpful 🙂
Well I’m thinking to make a regular 4 layer sponge cake. Then put cream and just cheries in between? Not a chocolate cherry mixture (no cake layers crumbled with cherries? Would that work?! Or should I crumble one white sponge layer? (Do cherries hold up better or it takes better?)
Hi Steva, I think that would work. It might be better to cut the cherries in half or coarsely chop them so they sit more uniformly.
Yum this is a beautiful cake and looks delicious !! 😋
Anna, thank you for yet another great review! It tastes as good as it looks 😁.
Mmmmm wow looks really way good love cherries and chocolate however am wondering what can I sub for the cocoa powder because my gr8 aunt Shirley doesn’t like chocolate she likes vanilla and fruity cakes and cookies wanna make this for her she’s gonna be 95 this summer g-d bless her and also don’t have a crock pot @ the moment can this be made with a different frosting thanx always Natasha ur a true gem
Hi Tzivia, you could just make it a vanilla layer instead of chocolate. I like the chocolate/vanilla contrast but it would still taste good without the cocoa 🙂
Oh ok cool awesome sauce will definitely keep this in mind thanx tons @ always luv have a gr8 day peace
hi
All of your cakes seem delicious.
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question regarding the dough for pirogy. It is come up just perfect.
I am trying now to make a birthday cake for my husband and have question regarding the frosting. How to mix condensed (which is sticky in consistency) with fluff of whipped cream. Thank you so much for your website
Hi Lera, just follow the instructions in steps 3 & 4 for the frosting. It will blend in. It’s good that it is thick and sticky in consistency because otherwise the frosting would be too runny. I hope you love the cake and happy birthday to your husband! 🙂
Well — here it is — near the end of 2014!
I just read your recipe for this delicious sounding cake. I am confused about the cherries — I think recipe said pie filling, yet your cherries look so bright and red to be that and I would think it would be hard to get the juice off those. Also same with a can of tart pie cherries. Your cherries almost look like maraschino cherries– please enlighten my poor old mind!
I did use pie filling cherries, but I think it would have been a whole lot easier to use tart pie cherries and the tart contrast would have been very tasty! It was a little cumbersome to get the juice off these. In the end, I think this recipe needs an update! Thanks for the question. Now I”m very motivated to re-make and improve it. We’ve been doing that with many of our older recipes. Anyway, thanks again and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question. It was very helpful.
I’m so glad to hear it. Have an awesome day! 🙂
Can I use the store bought zavareeniy moloko they bring that from Russia now and we have them in our stores. they should be the same right?
I’m not familiar with that product. As long as it is cooked sweetened condensed milk, it should be good. Ask at the store to make sure 🙂
Здравствуйте, Наташа, испекла Ваш торт а вот нужные вишни не могу найти в магазине, все такие сладкие, мне кажеться, что они должны быть немного с кислинкой, подскажите плз где их можно купить и как они точно называются:-) заранее спасибо
You can also use frozen pitted cherries and thaw them then soak in rum. Hope that helps 🙂
why does my cream seams kind of runny, is it because i over mix it when I added the zgushenka??
That could be. Was your whipped cream stiff enough before you started mixing in the condensed milk? Also, did you use Cooked condensed milk? This isn’t the most stiff frosting though. How runny was it exactly?
it was not too stiff, yes, i did your version of dulce la lece. it was runny like sour cream and it was falling off the cake; as long it was in the fridge it was ok…
I think I probably over mixed my batter when I was combining the whites with the yolks. What a shame. I hope it will taste good even though it’s deflated?!
It should still taste great. Also, it helps if you don’t open the oven while cooking.
Hello dear. I made this cake today. For some reason my biskvit came out really small. I feel like the biskvit shrunk after it came out of the oven. I placed it back into the 9×13 pan to see if it really shrunk and you know what? There was at least two inches of empty room in the pan. It looks like your biskvit is nice, fluffy and large! I have no idea what happened to my cake?
Wow that is strange. Did your batter look like mine in the photos? The most likely reason is that you may have over-mixed the batter and deflated it. This cake really relies on the volume of the egg whites. Also, you have to get it in the oven right away, it can shrink in volume if it sits on the counter too long. Hope that helps. Did you do anything else different?
Hi, Natasha. Have a question about the crem(frosting) if the condensed milk is boiled its changing color to brown how come your picture looks white? Did you add anything? Tnx.
The heavy whipping cream really lightens it up. And the two combined taste wonderful excavation point
Yeah that helps:) Thanks a lot..
One question can these biskvit stay without the frosting for three days? I need ur response as soon as possible please thanks:):)love ur recipes
I haven’t made it that far in advance, I’ve made it two days before my event, frosted one day before the event and refrigerated until we served it on the day of the event. i hope that helps 🙂 I think two days would work better without it getting to dry or hard.
Hi Natasha,
I’m making this cake and I don’t really want to wait four hours for the condensed milk to cook. Can I just use the recipe for the cream with regular condensed milk, whip cream, and butter?
Yep! You sure can! 🙂
I really like your blog 🙂 me and my sisters did this cake for Easter, and it was really good! Thanks for the great recipe. Keep it up.
Thank you Antonina, comments like these are always appreciated :).
Can you specify cooking time for the condensed milk? On this recipe you say cooked for 2hrs on high and on the actual condensed milk recipe it states to cook 4hrs on high. I am getting the impression for this frosting to cook it only half way. Is that right? Thanks!
Thank you for noticing that Nelya, it should be 4 hours, I fixed it.
Hi, Instead of boiling or making my on cooked condensed milk ,I buy Dulce de Leche, I bought the San Ignacio brand and it’s great, not to sweet. you can find them in a Argentinian or peruvian store, the mexican brand is a bit more sweet, but still good.
I’ll probably try it one day. I’m so curious as to how they compare.
Thank you very much.
Hi Natasha,
I have one question for you. Have you heard of the special carving tool for chocolate, like a chocolate curler (it makes curly pieces of chocolate for decorations). The chocolate kind of looks like shaved, but nicer curlers. I was trying to find it, but couldn’t. Was wondering if you know of what I’m talking about.
BTW, I love your recipes.
This might be what you looking for. Click here.
Hi Natasha,
Just wanted to say that I love your blog. I was just wondering if you have the recipe for the cake “drova pod snegom”? Been searching several websites and no one seems to have it. It is one of my favorite cakes and I would love to make it.
I don’t have one but that would be perfect for the holidays. I’ll try to find a great recipe for it.
Thank you for your response! That’s a great idea. I should have thought of that.
I want to make this cake but I only have one 13 by 9 pan. My question is would the layers work out if I bake them one at a time? Or is this is the type of cake that the layers need to be baked as soon as whipped up.
You can make them together and cut the cake in half 🙂
Is there any way to make a smaller size of this cake? It would be too big for me and my husband. 🙂
Hi Lyuda, I haven’t tried making a half portion, but I don’t see why you couldn’t just cut all the ingredients in half, make one white cake layer and cut it in half. Or you can always make the full one, cut it in half before frosting and give away the other half to someone else, like me for example 😉
All your recipes are amazing. Thank YOU so much. You make mr look like a genius when I create these delicious cakes/food 😉 thank YOU so much!
You make me smile 😀
oooooo… this should be a very good Birthday cake!!!:)
I just make that cake and must say this is a genius idea! The middle layer taste so good… Thank you so much
Anna; thank you! Of course I can’t take the credit for that geniusness (is that a word?) it was my Mama-in-laws idea 🙂
Thank you it’s my first and he’s keeping me quite busy 🙂 I’ll let ya know. Thanks for quick reply!
I thought I had all ingredients for the cake but realized i have strawberry filling/topping not cherry. I just had a baby and can’t really go to the store right now to buy cherries but wanted to make the cake for tomorrow. Do you think strawberries will work? If not, I won’t bother making it. Thanks in advance.
It should still work. It will just be a strawberry layer cake. Let me know how it turns out. Congratulations on your little one! 🙂
yumm!!!!
Natasha plz make a recipe of a cake called Pyanaya vishnya or aka drunken cherry in english lol.
your recipes are incredible!
Thank-you Natasha I’ll have to make it again sometime later. It’s still taste good with a tea. Thanks you do a remarkable job!
Oh my! I was so exited of making this recipe, but my cake came out so dry. Because I didn’t use all of my juice it would’t go through even when I poked it with tooth pick. So I just didn’t bother and through that juice away. Now I looked at your cake looks like you turn your cake around when you put juice on. Do you think it might be the problem?
Margarita, I’m sorry I didn’t specify that 🙁 yes, it will make a big difference. This cake is supposed to be pretty moist. The juice is thicker so it takes a little longer to soak in, but it does soak in better when you flip the cake over. I added to put the cake layers face down in the directions.
The cake was delicious and easy to make. Thanks for the recipes you post and please keep them coming. I enjoy your website!
I made this cake for my mom’s birthday, everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe :)))))
You’re welcome. So glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
made this cake once very good, but my korzhi didnt rise as much, now i have to make this cake again for my neices 1st bday but in round pans, very very nervouse. any tip. and i love the cream but mine was meeeltingg!!! and i need to cover this cake with sugar sheets so im going to try to cook the condensed milk much earlier cool it off. and hope that works. any tips? i also need to split the recipe somehow for a small round cake pan, doing a tier cake. any suggestions, i was just thinking to do in half.
You could just do the full recipe and have a nice tall cake (that’s what I would do) definitely let the condensed milk cool completely. It’s a light fluffy frosting and that will make a huge difference. Also make sure to freeze your mixing bowl and egg beaters before beating the heavy whipping cream. Keep the whipping cream refrigerated until you ate ready to use it and if you aren’t frosting the cake right away, refrigerate the frosting until ready to use. Hope that helps
just a question…. but why do u line your cake pans with wax paper? do u recommend it?
That or parchment paper or it will stick
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it and We all Loved it, turned out moist and just perfect. This was the best cake i ever made. Thank You again for making us better cooks, and bakers.
God Bless.
You’re so sweet 🙂 I appreciate your comment. God bless you too!
Hey Natasha, great recipes:) I am in the middle of making this cake. I make my biskvit a lil different than yours. I first mix the egg whites and sugar, gradually increasing the speed and constantly moving the bowl and the mixer. I then add the yolks, mix them for about 1-2 minutes (decreasing speed) and then adding flour, mix for about 1-2 minutes and decrease speed. Your way works also I just am always nervous about folding in the egg whites cuz I dont wana lose the volume. Oh and my mom and I have come to the realization the Russians boil the condensmed milk wrong lol It says on the can “Never to heat in can.” So what we do is the double boiler. It is much quicker and not as dangerous lol Love your recipes! Cant wait to try more:)
I never even thought twice about that – I just assumed it was ok 🙂 oh well… I’ll have to try your method. Thank you Viktoriya!
Hi Viktoriya!
As mentioned by you about folding the egg white mixture and the yolks, even i do the same way as yours.
Thanks for suggesting about the double boiler method. I wondered about boiling the can and its safety! I’m very much new to cooking such dishes and cuisine so thanks once again Victoria and Natasha for solving my doubts…
Thanks for the same.
Regards,
Sherry.
Hi Natasha,
So I made this cake twice, both time it was Delicious. But the 1st time it was kinda dry, I was scared to use all the syrup because I thought it would be way to moist. The 2nd time I baked it I used 2 cups of the syrup and it was perfect. Only one thing bothers me is the middle layer and the top layer don’t stay together, when you cut it up and take a slice at a time they seperate 🙁 Why is that? Do you have any idea?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Nadia, I’m glad you liked the cake. I don’t remember the separation being a problem. Maybe put a little less frosting into the chocolate mix next time.
For those ppl that don’t like the round corners, it was helpful when someone told me to cut off a 1/2 inch all the side and crumb in those pieces into the chocolate cake middle layer…then the cake looks more “crisp” 🙂
hmm.. my mom said that I should have first mixed egg yolk then egg whites and finally together and very slowly mixed in the suggar and the flour. It wasnt like bitter eggs gone wrong, more like the taste of egg yolks themselves . 🙂
So sad.. I tried to make this cake today and when i took it out of the oven.. and tasted it.. it tasted bitter 🙁 not sure why I did everything how directions specified…Maybe there should have been more sugar ?… UGH
I have no idea why it would be bitter. I’ve made loads of biskvit cakes and I’ve never had a bitter one- there just aren’t any ingredients in it that would make it bitter. Sorry, I have no idea, unless the eggs went bad?
no baking powder or baking soda? just want to double check
That is correct. The egg whites create the volume in biskvit cake
Oh no! I already went and bought whipping cream not heavy whipping cream! Is that going to be a problem?
If you can make it the same fuffy consistency as whip cream than it should work. make sure you keep it refrigerated until using it and put your mixing bowl and eggbeaters or wisk into the freezer for 10-15 minutes. I used the heavy whipping cream. It has a slightly higher fat content but I think either one should work. The frosting is not very thick or stiff, but it holds up very well and tastes great!
I made this cake for my Mom’s birthday party, and everybody loved it, thanks again for the recipe! The cake turned out to be very moist and super amazing!
Natasha, do you happen to have a bigos variant that you would be willing to share?
I had to look that up because I’ve never hear do bigos variant. I call it tooshana kapusta (steamed cabbage). I haven’t made it in awhile. You are the second person to request it this week, so I guess I should whip out the old recipe soon.
will heavy whipping cream work for the icing?
Yes, it is heavy whipping cream. I’ll specify that
Natasha
This was an amazing cake. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks Allza – glad you liked it. I did too.
Wow looks very yummy and not hard to make, can’t wait to try it out! 🙂
Wow that looks amazing. Have a family dinner this weekend. So this is perfect. Thx natasha. Merry Ukranian Xmas by the way.
15 eggs! That’s a lot! That’s a big cake. Does your little family eat all of it? Or do you share?
It is alot!! This cake is definitely a large family or party cake. 15-20 servings.
Merry Christmas and thank you for this post!!
Thanx 4 this recipe. Post more, cant wait!
oh WOW this looks good… i cant wait to try it.. Thanks for posting this delicious looking cake!!!!!