Description
Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak) is a decadent Russian dessert featuring tender chocolate honey cake layers, creamy sour cream filling, and a rich chocolate ganache. It’s a showstopper perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake Layers:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup honey
4 oz unsalted butter (melted if desired)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
For the Sour Cream Custard:
2 cups full-fat sour cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
For the Whipped Butter:
10 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
For the Ganache:
2 tbsp boiling hot heavy cream
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
Additional Ingredients:
2 cups raspberries (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the Chocolate Honey Cake Layers: Sift together flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. In a saucepan, combine sugar, honey, and butter over simmering water. Add eggs, mix well, and add baking soda. Fold into dry ingredients and divide dough into 8 portions.
- Roll the Dough: Roll each dough portion into a circle, poke holes to prevent air bubbles, and bake at 375°F for 5-7 minutes. Cut into perfect rounds using a template.
- Make the Sour Cream Custard: Combine sugar, cornstarch, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream in a bowl. Heat over simmering water until thickened to 160°F. Cool the custard.
- Whip the Butter: Whip the room temperature butter until pale and fluffy. Add cooled sour cream custard in thirds, mixing well after each addition.
- Prepare the Ganache: Mix boiling cream with dark chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
- Assemble the Cake: Layer the cake rounds with two scoops of cream between each layer. Cover the top and sides with cream and pour ganache over the top. Press crumbled cake crumbs against the sides of the cake.
- Chill: Let the cake rest at room temperature for 5-6 hours, then refrigerate overnight for best results.
Notes
For a fruitier version, add berries like raspberries or strawberries between the layers.
For a nutty texture, consider adding crushed hazelnuts or almonds around the cake edges.
To make this vegan, substitute with vegan butter and flax eggs and use a dairy-free sour cream alternative.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Russian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
