Description
A delightful Polish dessert made with choux pastry and custard cream. Perfect for special occasions!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two 9-inch round cake pans (or springform pans) with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and immediately stir in the flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms a dough ball. Return to low heat and stir for 1–2 minutes to dry out the dough slightly.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should become glossy and thick.
- Divide the choux dough between the two pans and spread it out evenly. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed with craggy peaks. Let cool completely.
- In a saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let the custard cool to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cooled custard to the butter, one spoonful at a time, beating until smooth and creamy.
- Place one choux pastry layer on a serving plate. Spread the custard filling evenly over the base layer. Gently place the second choux pastry layer on top.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar to create the snowy mountain effect that gives Karpatka its name.
- Chill the cake for at least 2–3 hours before serving to allow the cream to set beautifully.
Notes
- This cake is best enjoyed chilled.
- Make sure to let the choux pastry cool completely before adding the custard filling to prevent it from melting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 120mg