Easy No-Roll Thin Chocolate Layers Spartak Cake

This Easy No-Roll Spartak Cake is one of my favorite ways to make the classic Eastern European chocolate honey cake without spending hours rolling individual cake layers.

If you’ve made my No-Roll Honey Cake (Medovik)⁠, the process will feel very familiar. Spartak uses the same easy spreadable-batter method, but cocoa powder transforms the thin honey layers into rich chocolate cake layers.

There is no rolling required. Simply spread the warm chocolate batter into thin circles, bake each layer for about 6 minutes, and layer everything with a light sour cream and whipped cream frosting.

Why You’ll Love This Spartak Cake

• No rolling individual cake layers
• About 15 beautiful thin chocolate layers
• Each layer takes only about 6 minutes to bake ( I bake 8 at once)
• Soft, moist texture after chilling
• Light sour cream frosting balances the chocolate and honey
• Perfect make-ahead cake for birthdays and holidays
• Cake scraps become the chocolate crumb decoration, so nothing goes to waste

Tools You’ll Need for honey cake

• Stand mixer or hand mixer— for whipping eggs with sugar until fluffy

• Heat-safe bowl / double boiler or mixer bowl — for the water bath

• Silicone baking mats — for spreading batter without rolling (Amazon affiliate link on the recipe page)

• Spatula — for folding and spreading batter

• Adjustable baking ring — for clean, even layers (Amazon affiliate link on the recipe page)

• Turntable / non-stick cake stand — for easy assembly (Amazon affiliate link on the recipe page)

• Plastic wrap — for wrapping layers and assembled cake

Ingredients for Spartak Cake

For the Chocolate Honey Cake Layers

• 9 medium eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 sticks (226 g) unsalted butter
• 5 Tbsp honey
• ¼ cup caramel sauce
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, for activating the baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

For the Cream

• 1 liter (1000 ml / about 4¼ cups) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1.5 lb (680 g / 24 oz) sour cream, cold
• ½ cup powdered sugar

This amount is perfect for approximately 15 thin 8-inch layers and makes a finished cake about 4 inches tall.

How to Make No-Roll Spartak Chocolate Cake

Whip the Eggs

• Add the eggs and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and significantly increases in volume.
• Gradually increase the mixer speed as the eggs become thicker and lighter.

Prepare a Water Bath

• Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer.
• Place the mixer bowl with the whipped egg mixture over the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
• The steam should gently heat the mixture.

Add the Butter, Honey & Caramel

• Add the butter to the egg mixture and stir continuously with a spatula.
• When the butter is almost completely melted, add the honey and caramel sauce.

• Continue stirring until everything is smooth and combined.
• In a small bowl, activate 1 teaspoon baking soda with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.It will immediately begin to foam.
• Add the foaming mixture to the batter and gently stir.
• Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon vinegar.
• The mixture will become lighter and increase slightly in volume.

Add the Flour and Cocoa Powder

• Keep the bowl over the water bath.
• Begin adding the sifted flour gradually, in small portions, directly into the warm batter.
• Use a whisk as you add it. This makes it much easier to break up any small flour lumps and keeps the batter smooth.
• After adding the flour, begin gradually adding the sifted cocoa powder, again in small portions while whisking.
• There is no need to mix the flour and cocoa powder together beforehand.
• Continue adding and whisking until all 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of cocoa powder have been incorporated.
• The batter will become thicker and turn a deep chocolate color.
• Remove the bowl from the water bath and allow the batter to cool slightly.

Spread the Spartak Layers

• Preheat the oven to 330°F (165°C).
• Prepare silicone baking mats. You can place an 8-inch parchment circle underneath the silicone mat as a guide so every layer comes out approximately the same size.
• Using a spatula, spread a portion of batter into a very thin, even 8-inch circle.
• Don’t worry if the layer looks extremely thin. That’s exactly what you want for Spartak.

Bake for About 6 Minutes

Make the Sour Cream Frosting

• Add the cold sour cream, cold heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl.
• Start mixing on low speed.
• Gradually increase the mixer to high speed as the cream begins to thicken.
• Whip until the frosting becomes thick, smooth, and stable.
• Be careful not to overwhip. Once the cream is thick enough to hold its shape, stop mixing.

If your creams ever gives you troubles, check out my guide on 7 Common Mistakes & How to Solve Them it’s a lifesaver.

Assemble the Spartak Cake

• Place a small amount of cream onto your cake board to keep the first layer from moving.
• Place the first chocolate layer on top.
• Spread an even layer of cream over it.
• Continue:until the entire cake is assembled.
• cake layer → cream → cake layer → cream

• Don’t press down too hard. The thin layers will naturally settle as the cake rests.
• Leave a little frosting for covering the outside of the cake later. Keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator.
• Wrap the assembled cake tightly with plastic wrap.
• If necessary, gently adjust the sides with your hands to create an even shape.
• Refrigerate for 6–8 hours, preferably overnight.
• This resting time is very important. The thin chocolate honey layers absorb moisture from the cream and become incredibly soft.

Make Chocolate Cake Crumbs

• You don’t need cookies or crackers for the outside of this cake.
• Use the leftover Spartak cake trimmings instead or left extra layers from cake.
• If they are still very soft, return them to the oven for only 1–2 minutes to dry them slightly.
• Let them cool, then place them in a blender or food processor and pulse into fine chocolate crumbs.

Chocolate Cream

A chocolate cream will also give the cake a more festive, elegant look and a richer flavor. It’s incredibly easy to make, looks beautiful, and requires just 3 ingredients. This amount is perfect for covering the entire cake with enough left for some simple decoration.

You can also add your favorite nuts between the cake layers or use them for decorating. Hazelnuts pair especially well with the chocolate flavor and are a wonderful addition to this cake.

Finish the Cake with crumbs or chocolate cream

• After the cake has chilled, remove the plastic wrap.
• Cover the top and sides with the reserved cream.
• Press the chocolate cake crumbs over the entire cake.
• You can leave it simple with just the crumbs or decorate the top however you like.

Short on time?5-Minute Strawberry Mug Cake is the opposite of this recipe, instant and kid-friendly, but just as satisfying when a craving hits.

Tips for the Best Spartak Cake

Add the Dry Ingredients Gradually

• Don’t dump all the flour and cocoa into the batter at once.
• Add them little by little while whisking. This is especially important with cocoa powder because it can easily create small dry lumps.
• For this version, I prefer using a whisk while adding the flour and cocoa. It helps break up lumps much more easily than a spatula.
• Once everything is incorporated, don’t continue mixing unnecessarily.

Don’t Overbake the Layers

• This is probably the most important part.
• The layers need approximately 6 minutes total. They should remain flexible when they come out of the oven.
• If the layers become hard and crispy, they were baked too long.

Don’t Throw Away the Scraps

• The baked chocolate scraps make the best crumb coating.
• Simply dry them for another minute or two and blend them into crumbs.

Let Spartak Rest Overnight

• Technically, you can cut the cake after several hours, but it is much better the next day.
• As it rests, the sour cream frosting penetrates the thin chocolate layers and completely changes their texture.

What Size Cake Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes approximately:

• 15 thin cake layers
• 8-inch diameter
• about 4 inches tall

The exact number of layers can vary slightly depending on how thinly you spread the batter.

Can I Make Spartak Cake Ahead of Time?

• Yes. This is actually one of the best cakes to make ahead.
• You can bake the chocolate layers in advance. Once they are completely cool, separate them with parchment paper and wrap them well so they don’t dry out.
• You can also assemble the entire cake the day before serving. In fact, overnight refrigeration gives Spartak its best texture.

Storage

• Keep Spartak Cake covered in the refrigerator.
• For the best texture and flavor, enjoy it within 3 days.
• The cake becomes softer as it rests, so don’t be surprised if it tastes even better on the second day.