Description
Karpatka Cake, also known as Polish Carpathian Cream Cake, is a traditional Polish dessert featuring crispy choux pastry layers filled with rich vanilla crème mousseline, and dusted with powdered sugar to resemble snowy mountains — a stunning treat perfect for holidays, celebrations, and special occasions.
Ingredients
- Crème Mousseline:
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Potato starch (or cornstarch)
- Whole milk
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla bean paste
- Unsalted butter
- Additional sugar (for creaming)
- Choux Pastry:
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Flour
- Eggs
- Other:
- Butter (for greasing pans)
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Make the Crème Mousseline: Cook pastry cream using egg yolks, sugar, starch, milk, salt, and vanilla. Cool it completely, then beat with butter and a little sugar until fluffy.
- Prepare Choux Pastry: Boil water, butter, and salt. Stir in flour, cook the dough briefly, cool slightly, then beat in eggs one at a time.
- Bake the Pastry: Divide dough into two greased pans and bake until puffed and golden.
- Assemble: Place one pastry layer on a platter, spread with crème mousseline, top with the second pastry sheet.
- Finish: Generously dust with powdered sugar to mimic snowy mountains.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- For an adult version, add a splash of rum or amaretto to the cream.
- For a chocolate twist, mix melted dark chocolate into the pastry cream.
- Add sliced strawberries or raspberries between the cream for a fruity variation.
- Best consumed within 2 days for the optimal texture.
