A traditional Polish cream cake. This dessert consists of two layers of choux pastry filled with a thick, velvety vanilla milk pudding.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
75 ml whole milk
75 ml water
75 g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
100 g all-purpose flour, sifted
170 g (approx. 3 large) eggs, at room temperature (weighed without shells)
For the Cream:
600 ml whole milk
160 g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
50 g cornstarch, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
15 g granulated sugar (to beat with the butter)
For Decoration:
Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Pastry Layers
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and grease or line two 20-24 cm square or round baking pans. Combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts and the mixture reaches a boil, add the sifted flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes to dry out the paste slightly.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. Spread half of the dough into each prepared pan. Do not smooth the surface; the uneven peaks will create the “mountain” effect during baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Allow the layers to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Vanilla Pudding Base
In a medium saucepan, whisk together 450 ml of milk and the 160 g of sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 150 ml of milk with the egg yolks and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
Return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the pudding thickens significantly and begins to bubble. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and transfer to a bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and let it cool completely to room temperature.
- Finish the Cream Filling
In a large bowl, cream the room-temperature butter with the 15 g of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled pudding base one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until you have a smooth, aerated cream. - Assembly
Place one pastry layer at the bottom of a springform pan or cake ring. Spread the vanilla cream evenly over the base. Place the second pastry layer on top, pressing down gently. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the cream to set. - Serving
Just before serving, dust the top generously with powdered sugar to resemble snow on mountain peaks. Slicing with a serrated knife helps maintain the texture of the pastry layers.
