Karpatka Polish cake, a dessert that literally melts in your mouth. Like many recipes, the Karpatka cake has several variations, which I assume depend on the area where it is prepared and classic family recipes. It is also made with vanilla pudding and shortcrust pastry. The recipe I am proposing today is believed to be the most common, made with choux pastry (profiterole pastry) and a custard prepared with whole eggs and then worked with butter. The result is truly remarkable, and I am sure you will like it. As mentioned before, this dessert contains a significant amount of butter, so don’t ask me what to replace it with; in my opinion, you can’t. If you don’t want such a “buttery” dessert, make another dessert; you can find many in my category Desserts and sweets and, specifically, Cakes, donuts, and pies.
Other cake recipes you might like:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Polish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Karpatka Polish Cake
- 2 cups cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup cups sugar
- 1/3 cup cups cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (large tea teaspoon)
- 10 1/2 tbsp tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup cups water
- 3/4 cup cups all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 tbsp tbsp butter
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 1 tsp tsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed butter
- as needed powdered sugar
Recommended tools for making the Karpatka cake
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- Whisk
- Hand Mixer
- 2 Cake Pans 8 inches in diameter
- Cake Ring for cakes
- Acetate Pastry Tape
Preparation of KARPATKA Polish Cake
Before starting, take 10 1/2 tbsp of butter out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature (you will need it for the cream).
Pour the milk into a saucepan; add the vanilla extract and mix. Heat the milk until it almost boils.
Meanwhile, place the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl and mix with a whisk. Add a ladle of warm milk (taken from the milk you have heated) and mix everything well.
Pour the mixture into the milk, which will now have reached boiling point. Thicken the cream over low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.
Pour the cream into a bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and let it cool, first at room temperature and then in the fridge.
Pour the water and milk into a saucepan, add the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the butter, then bring to a boil.
As soon as it reaches a boil, pour the flour into the liquid all at once. Mix vigorously until a sort of ball forms that detaches from the sides; you will also notice a slight film forming at the bottom of the saucepan (it will only take a few minutes). Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl, and let it cool at room temperature.
When the mixture is cold or slightly warm, incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing vigorously. Do not add another egg until the previous one is well absorbed.
Divide the dough in half and place it in two 8-inch diameter molds lined with baking paper (see how to line a pan with baking paper). Level it with the back of a spoon.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (static) or 355°F (fan) for about 20 minutes (I used a fan oven) until the choux pastry has taken on a nice golden color. At the end of baking, leave the profiterole pastry inside the oven with the door slightly open for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then place the profiterole pastry discs on a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Place the cooled cream in a large bowl and work it for a few moments with the electric beaters. Add the softened butter in 2 or 3 batches and continue to beat with the beaters.
Place a disc of pastry on a serving plate and put a cake ring, insert a sheet of food acetate, and close the ring tightly. At this point, check the second pastry disc, and if it has any empty spaces, fill them with a bit of cream.
Pour the cream onto the base and level it with the back of a spoon, then cover with the other choux pastry disc and press it down gently with your hands. Cover and place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours or even more (I prepared it the day before and left it in the fridge for about 12 hours).
When ready to serve, dust the cake with powdered sugar.
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Notes
The quantity of vanilla extract may vary depending on the brand, so adjust according to the dosage indicated on the package.
If you liked this recipe, you might also be interested in the Sweet with cream and biscuits or the Orange Cake with Cream or the Pandoro filled with Mascarpone.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
I only have one 8-inch pan, what can I do?
Put half of the batter in the oven, take it out, let it cool slightly, and remove it from the pan. Let the pan cool and proceed with the second batch.
Can I use electric beaters to add the eggs to the choux pastry?
Yes, I recommend setting them to low speed.
Is the use of acetate sheet necessary?
I recommend it, but you can avoid it. In this case, before removing the ring, run the blade of a knife along the entire circumference of the cake, to prevent pieces of cream from sticking to the ring.
I don’t have a cake ring, what can I do?
You can use the ring of a springform pan, but make sure it is the same width as the choux pastry discs and about 3 inches high.
