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Karpatka Recipe: Polish Cream Cake

Make karpatka with readily available ingredients. These proportions, steps and practical tips will help you prepare and serve it.

Ingredients

Step-by-step method

  1. Bring the water and 125 g butter to a boil. Add the flour and stir vigorously until smooth. Cool, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
  2. Divide the dough into two layers and bake separately in a roughly 24 x 34 cm tin for 25-30 minutes at 200°C. Leave to cool.
  3. Mix the starch and sugar with some of the cold milk. Bring the remaining milk to a boil, pour in the mixture and cook, stirring, until the custard thickens. Cover the surface and cool completely.
  4. Beat the softened butter, gradually adding the custard and vanilla. Sandwich the layers with the cream, chill and dust with icing sugar.

Time and servings

Time: 90 minutes, plus cooling and chilling. Makes 12 pieces.

Tips and variations

Smooth choux pastry

Heat the water and butter to a boil so the butter melts completely. Add all the measured flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Keep heating until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cooking the flour at this stage affects the texture of the pastry.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and leave to cool. Do not add eggs while it is hot, as they could cook. Add them one at a time, beating after each addition until combined. The mixture may look separated at first, but further mixing should smooth it out. The finished dough is thick and spreadable.

Baking the layers

Line the base of the tin with baking paper. Spread half the dough thinly over the entire surface. It does not have to be perfectly smooth: the uneven surface will form characteristic peaks. Prepare the second layer in the same way. If you have one tin, allow it to cool slightly before lining it again and spreading the remaining dough.

Put the pastry in the preheated oven and do not open the door early in the baking time. The layer should rise, turn golden and look dry. Taking it out too soon may cause it to collapse. Once baked, transfer it to a rack and cool completely. The two layers may have different shapes, which is natural for choux pastry.

Smooth custard cream

Mix the starch thoroughly into cold milk before adding it to the hot milk. Stir the custard as it cooks, paying attention to the bottom and sides of the pan. Once thickened, transfer it to a bowl and cover with the covering touching the surface. This helps prevent a skin from forming. The custard must cool completely before it is combined with the butter.

Beat the softened butter until pale and fluffy. Add the custard a spoonful at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Both ingredients should be at a similar temperature. If the custard or butter is too cold, the cream is more likely to split. Add the vanilla towards the end and taste before filling the cake.

Assembling and slicing

Place one cooled pastry layer in the tin, spread the cream over it and cover with the second layer. Press gently without crushing the peaks. Refrigerate until the filling sets and the cake can be sliced neatly. Dust the top with icing sugar through a fine sieve before serving.

Use a sharp knife to slice the cake. Wipe the blade after each cut so the cream does not smear over the next pieces. Store karpatka covered in the fridge, away from strongly scented foods. If you prefer a softer cream, take a portion out shortly before serving.

Planning ahead

You can make the custard first, as it needs time to cool. Prepare and bake both pastry layers while it cools. Take the butter for the cream out of the fridge early enough to soften. Do not melt it, as beating gives the cream its fluffy texture. Before assembling, check with your hand that the undersides of the pastry layers are no longer warm. Warm pastry could soften the filling and make the cake difficult to slice. If preparing ahead, leave the icing sugar until just before serving so it does not absorb moisture from the top.

FAQ

Does karpatka need to be chilled?

Yes. Chilling helps the cream set.

Why did the pastry not rise?

The dough may not have been cooked sufficiently in the pan, or the oven may have been opened too early.

See also