Many modern housewives believe that "Steepka Rastrepka" is a simplified Napoleon recipe. But our mothers will confirm that it appeared long before its foreign brother. Where did this name come from? If you've ever read Hoffmann's fairy tales, you'll remember one of the pictures on the cover. It depicts a boy named Styopka the Disheveled—the main character. The boy's round, red-haired head reminds me very much of this cake. But perhaps that has no significance in the etymology of our name.

Let's start with the fact that the recipe was created a long time ago. Back then, the names Stepan, Ivan, and Peter were very common and folk names. The second part of the name comes from a certain resemblance between the appearance of a disheveled street boy and the equally simple cake design. This is actually better for us—the fewer the formal lines, the less time it takes to decorate. This popular name can also be explained by the fact that it doesn't require many ingredients, let alone expensive ones.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, delicious cake recipe that can be made in just a few steps, then "Stepa Rastrepa" is a must-have. This is especially important for young mothers who want to both care for their child and please their husbands. The process can be organized into several stages with breaks in between: kneading the dough and preparing the frosting (20 minutes), baking the cake base (1.5 hours), and assembling and decorating (20 minutes).

There are several variations of this dessert. Depending on the type of cream used, there are recipes with sour cream, butter cream, and choux cream. The dough can be made with or without sour cream, with or without vodka. But the main ingredient is always margarine or spread. To start, I suggest looking at a simplified recipe.

"Steepka Rastrepa" with sour cream

Styopka Ruffle cake recipe 2

Necessary products:

  • A pack of spread or margarine - 250 g
  • Sour cream – half a glass + 1 liter
  • Chicken egg - 1 pc.
  • Granulated sugar - 500 g
  • Vodka – 2 tbsp.
  • Very cold clean water - 200 ml
  • Wheat flour - how much will the dough take?
  • Lemon, salt - on the tip of a knife

Cooking process:

  1. Form a flour vortex on the table. Use a knife to chop the spread into small pieces directly in the flour. Rub it with your fingertips. Beat in the egg and knead the dough. Add lemon juice, salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and vodka to the water. Mix well. Pour everything into the egg-flour mixture. Knead quickly until the dough is elastic. Form 10-8 balls and refrigerate for an hour and a half.
  2. For the cream, beat the remaining granulated sugar with sour cream. Refrigerate.
  3. After the required time, roll out each ball on baking paper. Place a cookie cutter on top and cut to size. This will create even edges. Don't crumple the scraps! Prick the entire surface frequently with a fork. Bake each sheet until golden brown. The process will go faster if you bake several at a time.
  4. Place the rolled-out scraps on a baking sheet and bake. Then, blend them into crumbs. Alternatively, you can collect all the pieces in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
  5. Assemble and decorate the cake. Spread frosting over all layers, top, and sides. Sprinkle the top with the prepared crumble topping.

If you want the "Steepka Rastrepka" cake to turn out just like the store-bought version, try the following: After frosting all the layers except the top one, place a plate filled with a three-liter jar of water on top. This will create a weight. Let the cake sit like this overnight, and then decorate.

Cake with condensed milk

Styopka Ruffle cake recipe 3

This recipe is a little more expensive, but for condensed milk lovers, it's a treat!

Necessary products:

  • Spread – 250 g
  • Wheat flour - 320 g
  • Cold water - a shot glass
  • Lemon and salt - a pinch each
  • Butter – 200 g
  • Boiled condensed milk - 200 g

Cooking process:

  1. Mix and dissolve salt and citric acid in water.
  2. Grate or chop the cooled spread. Pour in water and mix with flour. Form into 8-9 balls. Refrigerate for an hour.
  3. Let the butter soften. Then beat it with the condensed milk.
  4. After an hour, remove the balls one by one and roll them out on baking paper. Trim to shape. Place the pieces on a separate sheet of parchment paper.
  5. Bake the cakes until lightly golden brown.
  6. Bake the pieces and turn them into crumbs.
  7. Assemble the cake. Frost all the layers with frosting. Do the same for the top and sides. Now sprinkle the top and sides with crumbs. To evenly distribute the crumbs on the sides, take a sheet of paper and place the edge of the paper on the surface of the cake.
  8. Be sure to let it stand overnight.

The cake is even more delicious if you add crushed nuts to the crumb topping. You can also sprinkle it with coconut flakes or flaked almonds. You can also spice up the recipe by adding fresh berries between the layers (for example, cranberries or currants will add a tart flavor). For adults, there's a recipe for soaking it in cognac or liqueur. This makes the dessert even softer and more flavorful.

Bon appétit. I really hope your family loves Styopka Rastrepka too!

Video recipe for the "Steepka Rastrepka" cake