Karpatka Polish Cream Cake Recipe
Karpatka is a Polish cream cake made with choux pastry layers and vanilla custard filling. Easy to bake at home and pairs well with coffee.
Ingredients
1. Custard Filling
2. Dough Ingredients
Step-by-Step Method
Combine filling ingredients
In a saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar, flour, cornstarch, and egg yolk until smooth.
Cook the custard
Heat over medium, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
Add butter and vanilla
Remove from heat, then stir in butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
Cool the custard
Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and let it cool to room temperature.
Heat butter and water
In a saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil until butter fully melts.
Incorporate flour
Add flour and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms.
Let the dough cool
Remove from heat and let the dough rest until lukewarm.
Beat in the eggs
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until silky.
Mix in dry ingredients
Stir in salt and baking powder to form a uniform dough.
Fill the baking tin
Spread half of the dough into a parchment-lined springform pan and smooth the top.
Bake first layer
Bake in preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for 35 minutes.
Prepare second layer
Spread the remaining dough and bake for another 35 minutes.
Assemble the cake
Once cooled, spread the custard over the bottom layer in the pan.
Close the layers
Place the top pastry layer carefully over the custard.
Dust with sugar and chill
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and refrigerate before serving.