Homemade Kiev Cake Recipe with rum Infused Buttercream is the dessert of your dreams. A classic Slavic dessert that combines rum infused buttercream, chocolate, and hazelnuts will make your taste buds scream with happiness.
If you love traditional European Cakes, you should definitely try my chocolate honey cake (Spartak)
This recipe was originally posted March 16, 2016. We’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Homemade Kiev Cake Recipe with Infused Buttercream
Kiev cake is perhaps one of the most well known Slavic cakes. It is made with layers of crunchy hazelnut meringue (made with a little bit of flour) and rum-infused buttercream (a little different from regular buttercream). The original Kiev cake uses cashews instead of hazelnuts though.
This is my mother’s tried and tested recipe. Since I grew up in the states so I’ve never actually tasted a real Kiev cake. Our local European store sells Kieve cakes made by the Roshen company. My father grew up in Kiev and he told me my mother’s cake is very similar to the Kiev cake he used to eat in his childhood.
Fortunately, I too have been able to taste Roshen’s cake at our local European store. I’ve seen many Kiev cake recipes with layers of Russian sponge cake, but I prefer to make it the more traditional way. I happen to love meringue and hazelnuts, so the more the merrier 🙂
Ingredients for the Kiev Cake:
- wheat flour
- granulated sugar
- toasted hazelnuts
- whole eggs and egg whites
- milk
- butter
- cocoa powder
- rum or cognac
- cream of tartar
- vanilla extract
Directions for making a Kiev Cake with Infused Buttercream
- Prepare your baking circles using baking pans and set aside for later.
- Combine ingredients as shown in printable option below to build the cake layer.
- Use a stand mixer for convenience to beat eggs until frothy as directed.
- Fold in egg and flour mixtures gently using a spatula carefully not overwhip the eggs.
- Layer and cook the meringue layer
Create and bake the cake batter as directed
Infuse the buttercream with your choice of rum or cognac
Create the cake layers as directed and top with chocolate buttercream. You may ice or decorate the cake as shown in my images, or as you prefer.
Top the cake with the deliciously rich chocolate buttercream base
More Delicious Homemade Desserts
While I love the flavors of this homemade kiev cake with rum infused buttercream, it can be a bit rich for every day. Below I am sharing even more of our best homemade dessert recipes for you to create at home. Enjoy these with your family!
- Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe (With Raspberry Infusion)
- Tiramisu Cake Recipe
- Homemade Nutella Croissants
- Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Printable Kiev Cake Directions
Below you can print the Kiev Cake directions and full ingredient list for your convenience.
Full Recipe Instructions
Kiev Cake
Homemade Kiev Cake Recipe with Infused Buttercream is the dessert of your dreams. A classic Slavic dessert that combines flavors in one rich dessert!
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 10
Calories: 425kcal
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the meringue layers:
- 1/3 cup wheat flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for the nut mixture
- 1 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
- 8 egg whites aged for at least 12 hours at room temp
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the cake base
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Ingredients for the buttercream:
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 sticks butter 1 3/4- 2 cups softened
- 3 tbsp rum or cognac
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Trace a 9 inch circle on 2 sheets of parchment paper. Set aside for later use.
- In a bowl combine wheat flour with 1/3 cup sugar. Then add the chopped hazel nuts and mix to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy,
- Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks begin to form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in the hazel nut and flour mixture into the egg whites.
- Dab 5 dots of the meringue onto each baking sheet. Lay the prepared parchment paper on top (traced side down). This will help hold the parchment in place.
- Split the hazelnut meringue amongst the 2 (9 inch) circles. Try to spread within the lines as bet as possible. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes then drop the temperature to 220 degrees Fahrenheit, bake for another 3 hours and 45 minutes.
- Let the meringue cool completely. Place a 9 inch round pan on top and cut around the edges. Do this to both cakes. Reserve the outside edge that's been cut; you will need it to coat the sides of the finished cake.
- In a bowl lightly beat 2 eggs with 1 1/4 cup sugar.
- In a sauce pan, bring the milk to a simmer (not a boil). Slowly pour it into the eggs and sugar making sure to stir constantly.
- Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and continue stirring over medium low heat until it becomes yellow and thickened. This may take up to 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and add the vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Beat the room temperature butter in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment.
- Pour in the cooled egg mixture while continuing to mix. Then add the rum.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the butter cream. Combine it with 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
- Spread the white buttercream on top of the first meringue layer. Don't use up all of the white butter cream; reserve about 1/3 cup for decorating.
- Place the second meringue layer on top of the buttercream. Then spread enough buttercream to thinly coat the sides of the cake.
- Spread the chocolate buttercream on the top portion of the cake.
- Coat the sides of the cake with the left over meringue crumbles. From here, decorate the cake as you wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo of it and tag me on Instagram @simplyhomecooked or use the hashtag #simplyhomecooked so I can see it and feature it!
Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
Latest posts by Dina (see all)
- Tomato Basil Soup - September 16, 2024
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries - September 11, 2024
- Fried Zucchini - September 9, 2024
Beatrice says
You mention a cake base but I don’t see instructions for making it. What do you mean by the “cake base”? I’m not sure I understand what you’re referring to. I intend to make this tomorrow.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Beatrice, the cake base is the meringue. All of the detailed instructions can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Alla says
Hi! Would be so much more helpful with a video!! I’m currently making this and I don’t know if it’s only me but I have to re-read the instructions a million times because I’m confused.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Alla, could you please tell me which part of the recipe you are struggling with so I can help you. It’s hard for me to help when I’m not too sure which step of the recipe you got confused about.
Sally Zelikovsky says
Hi. I am now on my third try with the butter cream. It comes out too runny and the sabayon never really thickens as much as it should. Just want to confirm you use whole eggs, whole milk, and granulated (vs powdered) sugar?
How softened should the butter be? Also, the sabayon–is it room temp or fully cooled?
I’m thinking the sabayon wasn’t cooled enough but it was room temp and the butter had been out quite some time so maybe it was too soft?
.
The meringue instructions and results were perfect but some more direction would be helpful in terms of preparing the “buttercream.”
FYI I cooked the meringue in a spring cake pan and a round cake pan on top of parchment and it really makes it much less messy. I took a big blob and flattened it on a cookie pan lined w/ parchment to be chopped up and used for the sides
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Sally, yes I use whole eggs, whole milk, and granulated sugar. I think the problem might be that it wasn’t cooled down to room temperature. Another thing I can think of is making sure to use good quality butter. I hope that helps answer your question, Sally.
Sally Zelikovsky says
what kind of milk?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Sally, I use whole milk. I hope you enjoy this Kiev cake recipe 🙂
Nell says
Hi, my cake layers spread a bit in the oven and got flattened. Can you please give me more specific instructions on the meringue part. I would like to make another attempt at the cake. In detail help me understand: when you beat the egg whites to foamy, do you turn off the mixer and then add the cream of tartar? Same with the sugar addition, do you add it slowly while the mixer is running or all at once? How many more minutes do you mix for after the sugar addition?
Thank you.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Nell, when you add the sugar and cream of tartar you want the mixer to be on and running. The time it takes to finish mixing the meringue really depends on the strength of your stand mixer. Look for stiff peaks to know that the meringue is done mixing. I hope you give this Kiev cake recipe another try Nell!
Ugena says
I tried this recipe it was wonderful best cake ever. Thank you.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Ugena, I am very happy that you enjoyed this recipe! I hope you find many more recipes that you can enjoy on my blog 🙂 Thank you for the kind feedback!
OKSANA says
I was looking for this recipe for ever. I must compliment you for a great one. Everyone loves my Kiev Cake (Kievsky cake)
I am from Ukraine and that is the best Kievsky cake ever had. One important comment is I used Macadamia nuts as I couldn’t find Hazel nuts in fact it came out pretty good. Thank you for sharing wonderful ideas from your kitchen.
Oksana
simplyhomecooked says
Oksana thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind review. It means so much to me! I love seeing comments like this 🙂
Ray says
Thanks for sharing the recipe for this iconic Ukrainian dessert.
simplyhomecooked says
My pleasure Ray! 🙂
Mel says
What a great recipe!
My boyfriend is from Latvia and is very fond of Kiev cake. We have bought the Roshen one a few times and this recipe comes very very close to it (except for the decorations maybe haha).
My first attempt at the meringue was not the best, I think I added the sugar too quickly and the air came out.
The second meringue didn’t turn out as thick as I wanted, maybe 1cm instead of 2 but was so good!
Is there a technique to coat the sides of the cake with the meringue leftovers more efficiently? I found it a bit difficult to get it evenly coated.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Mel, thank you for leaving your feedback. If you want to have really smooth sides, you can try baking the cake into round baking pans. That will give it a nice smooth look 🙂
Steve says
Do you have to worry about the meringue layers becoming mushy from the buttercream ?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Steve, don’t worry the meringue won’t get soggy as long as the cake is kept refrigerated.
Liza says
Why is there granulated sugar twice in the base recipe?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Liza, 1/3 cup is for the nut mixture and the other 1 1/2 cup is for the cake base.
Tanya says
I am not a baker so the step by steps instructions are very helpful, thank you! I was wondering, how can I modify the meringue recipe to make a dessert in itself. Maybe pipping meringues or making cookie sized treats? How would the cook time need to be adjusted? I love Kiev cake but prefer to avoid the sugar & butter in buttercream yet enjoy my favorite part which is the hazelnut meringue.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Tanya, you can most definitely make just the meringue portion of the recipe. The bake time depends on the size of the treats. I recommend following step 7 until you drop the oven temperature. At that point, instead of baking it for 3 hours and 45 minutes like the recipe calls, bake it for 2 hours. Hope that helps 🙂
Paula says
I was wondering if the cake could be made a day or two ahead of time and kept refrigerated or is the meringue too fragile? Thanks in advance for your reply.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Paula, yes the cake can easily be made in advance. It actually tastes best after being refrigerated.
Kathleen says
One more question:
do you need whole wheat flour, or is regular wheat flour okay?
simplyhomecooked says
I’ve seen best results with whole wheat flour.
Kathleen says
Do you think this would work if cocoa omitted? I’m allergic to it.
simplyhomecooked says
Yes you can omit the cocoa if you want Kathleen
Virginia says
I just made the meringue for this cake,love it!!!! I have tryed couple reciepts this one is the best so far ,the shape is not round but that needs to be trained 🙂 thank you,you just made my day!!!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Virginia! Glad I could make your day ????
ALEXANDRA GORE says
Made this cake this weekend. The recipe is quite authentic, very similar to the Rochen frozen ones but much better since it is fresh!
It is quite a project to make though 🙂 mine didn’t look quite as perfect as the picture. Thanks for the good recipe.
I had a little extra meringue left over, which I piped into some little cookies and baked for the same amount of time with the cakes. The meringue is very nice even alone. I would add a little salt to that part of the recipe next time though, maybe 1/4 tsp?
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough review of the cake Alexandra! It really depends on each person. If you prefer it with a tad more salt, by all means 🙂
Natalya says
Thank you so much for this recipe! Do you think it would crack if I double the recipe and make a taller cake ?
simplyhomecooked says
You’re welcome Natalya. I’ve never tried doubling the recipe so I can’t really say much. There is a chance it may crack. The baking/drying time will be a lot longer if you double the recipe.
Lucy @ Globe Scoffers says
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. ????
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Lucy!
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
This looks amazing! I love the meringue only version of Kiev cake and have been looking for a simpler recipe, thanks for the step by step pics 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Katy! I’m so glad you came across my recipe 🙂 if you make it, I would love to know how it turns out.