I have long wanted to make this wonderful custard cake “Karpatka”, and the other day, I finally managed to fulfill this long-standing culinary desire. The “Karpatka” cake turned out excellent - delicate, moderately sweet, visually simply incredible!
Preparing “Karpatka” is no more complicated than the most banal two-layer cake. Only the dough in this dessert is not simple, but custard. That’s why the cakes turn out to be as “mountainous” as the Carpathian Mountains. As you might have guessed, the cake got its name from the famous Carpathian Mountains, since the appearance of “Karpatka” is very reminiscent of them, and the cake recipe is from those places near the Carpathians.
The recipe for Karpatka cake is quite simple. Usually one cake is prepared by spreading the dough over a small rectangular baking sheet. And after cooking, the cake is simply cut in half. But more and more often there are recipes for preparing “Karpatka” from two round cakes. And I like this option better, because this cake looks neater and more elegant.
As for the cream used in making the Karpatka cake, it is an ordinary custard, only it has a denser consistency due to the starch in its composition. Once the cake has cooled, this layer is more like a soft pudding than a cream. But such a density of the cream allows you to form a high filling and it looks very impressive and unusual.
What I personally liked most about the Karpatka cake was its tenderness and very moderate sweetness. There is no sugar at all in the cakes, but in the cream it is barely noticeable. In the process of preparing “Karpatka” I always had an association with custard cakes (eclairs). By the way, I already showed you how I cook them. You can look at the recipe for making custard cakes.
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Number of servings – 12Ingredients:
- water – 100 ml
- milk – 100 ml + 600 ml
- salt – 0.5 tsp.
- butter – 80 g + 200 g
- flour – 140 g
- eggs – 4 pcs. + 2 pcs.
- sugar – 150 g
- vanilla sugar – 1 tsp.
- corn starch – 60 g
- powdered sugar – 1 tbsp.
Cake “Karpatka”, step-by-step recipe with photos
Turn on the oven to warm up to 200 degrees and start preparing the dough for the choux pastries.
Place 100 ml of water and 100 ml of milk, half a teaspoon of salt and 80 g of butter into a ladle or pan.
Bring the contents of the ladle to a boil, but do not boil.
Add all the flour (140 g) into the hot liquid.
And, reducing the heat to a minimum, brew the dough, that is, intensively mix the flour with milk, water and butter until a homogeneous dough is obtained. We stop the kneading process when the dough acquires an absolutely homogeneous consistency and easily sticks off the walls of the ladle.
Turn off the heat and leave the dough alone for a few minutes to cool. Then add 4 eggs to the choux pastry one at a time.
Mix the choux pastry with the eggs with a wooden spoon until smooth. The finished dough will have a glossy finish.
To prepare “Karpatka” I used a springform pan with a diameter of 21 cm. I covered the bottom of the pan with parchment. By eye I divided the dough into two parts and literally “smeared” one of these parts along the bottom of the mold. And be sure to leave as many irregularities as possible on the surface of the dough; you can even specially shape them with a spoon dipped in water. The more such “mountains” there are, the more beautiful the resulting cake will be.
Place the pan with the dough in the oven, which has already been preheated to 200 degrees and bake the cake for 30 minutes. During baking, you absolutely cannot open the oven, otherwise the cake will fall off and after that nothing can save it. The finished cake will increase significantly in size and will have a rich golden color.
While the first cake for “Karpatka” is being baked, we won’t waste time and prepare the cream.
Mix 150 g of sugar with two eggs and vanilla sugar.
Lightly beat the egg-sugar mixture with a mixer or a whisk by hand.
Add starch to the mixture and continue stirring. If necessary, to mix the starch and mixture more easily, you can borrow a little milk from the 600 ml that will form the basis of the cream.
Pour 600 ml of milk into a ladle and put on fire. We monitor the process of its heating and at the moment when the milk almost reaches the point of boiling, we introduce into it a mixture of sugar, eggs and starch. While intensively kneading the cream, we continue to cook it. As a result, after 2-3 minutes the cream will begin to thicken. When you notice the first signs of boiling, turn off the heat.
Cover the surface of the custard with a cellophane bag to prevent the formation of a dense crust and leave to cool.
After the cream has cooled almost completely, add 200 g of butter and mix thoroughly with a mixer until smooth.
The first cake is ready, then bake the second one.
Both cakes are ready and have even had time to cool.
And again we return to the same springform pan in which the cakes were baked. Place one of the cake layers on the bottom of the pan (the one that turned out less “mountainous”).
Place all the custard on the bottom crust and carefully distribute it over the entire surface in an even layer.
Polish Karpatka cake, combining thin cakes based on choux pastry and a delicate milk layer, is a wonderful dessert for hospitable tea parties, special events or modest gatherings with the family. A successful combination of a sweet, enveloping cream and a bland flour part forms a pleasant and not cloying confectionery product, which will surely appeal to those with a sweet tooth of all ages.
The choux pastry is prepared in the standard way, as in the formation of the well-known French and popular ones. For those who have already dealt with at least one of the above desserts, making “Karpatka” will seem extremely simple. We recommend that novice cooks who are not yet familiar with choux pastry practice and hone their skills using this recipe. It’s not for nothing that the Karpatka cake is often called a large or “lazy” eclair - the taste is very similar, and the preparation is much simpler, since the flour base is baked in one cake layer.
Ingredients: 
For the test:
- butter - 100 g;
- flour - 150 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- water - 250 ml;
- eggs - 5 pcs.
For cream:
- milk - 500 ml;
- sugar - 170 g;
- vanilla sugar - 10 g;
- flour - 50 g;
- salt - a pinch;
- potato starch - 25 g;
- butter - 200 g.
For registration:
- powdered sugar - 1-2 tbsp. spoons.
Cake “Karpatka” recipe with photos step by step
How to prepare dough for Karpatka custard cake
- First of all, measure and sift 150 g of flour through a fine sieve. We will work with the dough quickly, so everything you need should be ready right away.
- Next, pour water into a thick-bottomed pan and add a pinch of salt. Add butter, cut into cubes. Place on low heat.
- When the oil fragments are completely dissolved and the liquid boils, add all the flour. Remove from heat and immediately, without wasting a minute, knead the mixture very quickly. As soon as the butter-flour mixture turns into a single composition, return the pan to the stove.
- We continue to actively mix the dough for 1-2 minutes, setting the heat to minimum. It is necessary to obtain a plastic mass that easily lags behind the bottom/walls of the pan. After removing from the heat, place the dough in a clean bowl and cool.
- Add eggs to the now cooled flour mixture, one at a time, stirring the dough thoroughly each time.
- We achieve a homogeneous, smooth composition. The dough will be shiny, viscous and viscous.
- We line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, approximately 36x32 cm in size (no less!) - the layer of dough should not be thick. If you don’t have a large baking tray, divide the flour mixture in half and bake in two batches. Level the choux pastry as much as possible so that the cake bakes evenly.
- Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. The cake should rise in tubercles and brown well.
- After cooling completely, cut the baked cake into two equal parts.
Cream for custard cake “Karpatka”
- In a large heat-resistant container, combine all the dry ingredients - flour, starch, salt, vanilla and simple sugar. Mix.
- After bringing to a boil and removing from heat, little by little add hot milk to the dry ingredients (about half the serving). Stir very thoroughly, leaving no lumps.
- Pour the resulting mixture into the remaining milk and return to the stove. Cook the cream over low heat, stirring carefully and continuously. As soon as the mass thickens, remove from the stove and cool.
- Beat softened butter until fluffy.
- In small portions, introduce the completely cooled milk mass, continuing to work with the mixer. We get a thick, fluffy cream that holds its shape well and does not spread.
- Assembling the cake. First place one part of the cake on a suitable dish. Apply all the cream, trying to distribute it as evenly as possible.
- Next, cover the cream layer with the second part of the cake and press down lightly. Sprinkle the cake with sifted sweet powder.
- Before tasting, put the product in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that the cream layer “hardens” and the cake itself holds its shape well when cut. Divide the finished dessert into portions and serve.
Custard cake “Karpatka” is ready! Enjoy your tea!
The legendary pie (dancing) “Karpatka” is a well-known and very favorite pastry among culinary specialists in Poland and Western Ukraine. This dance is prepared there very often. Thanks to its taste and original appearance, the Karpatka pie has also attracted the attention of chefs from other countries, which is why it is happily prepared all over the world. The pie got its name due to the fact that the cakes rise unevenly during baking, forming tubercles that visually resemble the Carpathian Mountains. Also, what stands out in this pie is the very thick layer of cream, which is not as greasy as it might seem at first glance.
Cakes and cream are very harmoniously combined in the Karpatka dance, which is good news. After cooking, the pie must be left in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours so that the cream becomes dense and the cakes are slightly saturated with cream, so prepare this pie in advance. In fact, everything is simple, the main thing is to strictly follow this step-by-step recipe.
Monday, May 19, 2014 07:32 + to quote book
I’m just surprised by the little known nature of this Polish miracle. The pie, or rather the cake, is simply miraculously good. Karpatka is made from choux pastry, which rises beautifully, creating, together with the pudding cream, a picture of high mountains. Since I really love choux pastry and all sorts of things made from it, this pie, especially its cut, attracted my attention.
If you are familiar with choux pastry, then preparing such a pie will not be difficult.
And what a delicious cream, it reminds me of ice cream!
It’s very simple to prepare – no unnecessary movements, slight negligence is quite acceptable – I scribbled it all down, but how delicious it is!!!
dough
Water - 1 cup (230 ml)
Margarine (butter) - 100 g
Flour - 1 cup. (150 g)
Eggs - 5 pcs.
Salt - 1/3 tsp.
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp.
cream pudding
Milk - 3 cups. (700 g)
Sugar - 1 cup. (160 g)
Flour - 80 g (approx. 4 tbsp with a small slide)
Starch - 80 g (I used potato starch, 4 tbsp. l)
Raw egg yolks - 2 pcs.
Vanillin - 2 g (whole packet without sugar)
Butter - 200 g
Bring water with margarine (butter) and salt to a boil. 
Add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously to prevent lumps from forming. 
Keep it on low heat for a couple of minutes and stir the dough all the time. 
Remove from heat. This is how it should be. Smooth and pretty cool. Chill the dough before adding the eggs to prevent them from curdling. Until slightly warm. 
Now add eggs according to this scheme: add one egg and stir until smooth.
Add the following and stir until smooth.
And so all 5 pieces. 
The dough gradually becomes softer. 
At the end, add baking powder.
The dough is not cool. 
I had enamel baking sheets, so I put baking paper and greased it. Then I spread half the dough onto one baking sheet and the other half onto another baking sheet.
But this amount of dough will fit perfectly on a large baking sheet from a standard 4-burner stove. Then you just need to cut it crosswise into 2 parts.
Before baking, heat the oven (180 degrees) 
Bake at temp. 180 deg. about 30 minutes.
Do not open the oven during baking to prevent the dough from settling.
This is what it looks like after baking - solid Carpathians 
Light and beautiful. 
And this is the view from below. Caves. 
Now let's prepare the cream.
Mix yolks, starch, flour, vanillin with 1 glass of milk (one third of all milk according to the norm). 
This is how you get the milk-starch mixture. 
Heat the rest of the milk and add sugar. Heat to approximately 80-90 degrees. 
Add our milk-starch part to the hot milk.
Heat, stirring vigorously, until thickened.
Cool to room temperature. 
The butter should not be from the refrigerator, it should be soft.
Beat it until lightly whitened. 
Now add the pudding part in portions. Mix everything with a mixer until smooth. 
This is the resulting cream. It’s delicate, it doesn’t really hold its shape yet, that’s how it should be. 
Spread all the cream onto one cooled cake layer. 
Cover with the second one on top.
Leave overnight to allow the pudding to harden. 
Before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
I am sure that you will make a delicious Karpatka pie. 
gurmel.ru
Many people think that making a homemade cake takes a lot of effort and time. Knowing this recipe
Dancing from the stove to the computer!
The pie, or rather a cake, is simply amazingly good. Tender and not at all cloying, easy to prepare.
Necessary:
Dough
Water - 1 glass (230 ml)
Margarine or butter - 100 g
Flour - 1 cup (150 g)
Eggs - 5 pcs.
Salt - 1/3 tsp.
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cream:
Milk - 3 glasses. 700 ml
Sugar - 1 glass 160 g
Flour - 80 g (4 tbsp with a small slide)
Starch - 80 g (4 tbsp. l)
Raw egg yolks - 2 pcs.
Vanillin - 2 g
Butter - 200 g
Preparation of the dough:
Bring water with margarine (butter) and salt to a boil. 
Add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously to prevent lumps from forming.
http://img1.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/c/11/116/558/116558025_large_RRSRRSRR_006.JPG
Keep it on low heat for a couple of minutes and stir the dough all the time. Remove from heat. This is how it should be. Smooth and pretty cool. Chill the dough before adding the eggs to prevent them from curdling. Until slightly warm. 
Now add eggs according to this scheme: add one egg and stir until smooth. Add the following and stir until smooth. And so all 5 pieces. 
The dough gradually becomes softer. At the end, add baking powder. The dough is not cool. 
Place baking paper on a baking sheet, pour out and smooth out the dough. This amount of dough will fit perfectly on a large baking sheet from a standard 4-burner stove. Then you just need to cut it crosswise into 2 parts. Before baking, heat the oven (180 degrees) 
Bake at 180 degrees. about 30 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking to prevent the dough from settling. 
While the cakes are baking, prepare the cream: Stir yolks, starch, flour, vanillin with 1 glass of milk 
This is how you get the milk-starch mixture.
Heat the rest of the milk and add sugar. Heat to approximately 80-90 degrees. 
Add our milk-starch part to the hot milk. 
Heat, stirring, until thickened. Cool to room temperature. 
The butter should be soft. Grind the butter until lightly whitened. 
Add the custard-starch-flour mixture to the butter in small portions. Mix everything with a mixer until smooth. 
If necessary, cut the cake into two parts. Spread all the cream onto one cooled cake layer. 
Cover with the second one on top. Leave it in the refrigerator to allow the cream to harden. Before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. 
