Best Ukrainian Spring Cake Vesniany Torte Recipes

UKRAINIAN SPRING CAKE VESNIANY TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• MAKE THE CAKE: Sift the flour with the baking powder and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy; gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff and meringuelike.
• In a small bowl, beat the yolks until frothy; fold the yolks and flour into the egg whites just until incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the centers spring bake when touched.
• Cool in the pans on a wire rack (centres of the cakes may sink slightly).
• TO PREPARE THE CUSTARD FILLING, in a small nonreactive saucepan, mix the egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half, and sugar.
• Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and thick.
• Remove from the heat, cover, and COOL.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE, cut the layers horizontally, making 4 layers in all.
• Place the bottom layer on a cake plate and spread with half the custard.
• Top with the next layer.
• Spread with the jam.
• Reserve a few of the nicest strawberries for garnish on top of the cake, then slice the remainder and arrange on top of the jam layer.
• Top with a third layer of cake.
• Spread with the remaining custard.
• Top with the remaining layer of cake.
• No more than 1 hour before serving, make the topping.
• Whip the cream and flavour with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
• Pile whipped cream on top of the cake and garnish with the reserved berries.
• Makes about 16 servings.

UKRAINIAN WALNUT-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• FOR THE WALNUT TORTE: Beat the egg yolks until light. Add the sugar gradually and beat until thick and fluffy. Stir in the nuts and bread crumbs.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture.
• Butter 2, (9 inch )deep layer pans (shallow pans may cause the batter to run over in the oven) with soft butter and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs.
• Spoon the batter into the pans. Bake 350 degrees F.,for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done when tested.
• Remove from the pans and place on a cake rack.
• FOR THE ALMOND LAYER: Beat the egg yolks until light. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating until thick and fluffy. Beat in the lemon rind and juice. Stir in the almonds and bread crumbs.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture. Spoon the batter into a deep, buttered layer cake pan sprinkled with bread crumbs.
• Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Remove from the pan and place on a cake rack. Prepare the following filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: BLEND the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar in a saucepan; cook this mixture OVER simmering water, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
• Remove it from the heat and cool.
• Cream the butter, add the remaining 1 cup of sugar gradually, and continue creaming until smooth.
• Blend in the yolk-sugar mixture, coffee, and vanilla. Beat thoroughly.
• Spread this filling between the 3 layers of the torte, on the sides, and over the top. Decorate with toasted, slivered almonds.

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS POPPY SEED RUM CAKE MAKOVYI TORTE

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Pour boiling water over seeds, let stand for 5 minutes, pour off water and repeat.
• Drain well.
• Grind with steel blade in processor until seeds release milk and turn white.
• Butter a 9 inch springform pan and dust it with ground almonds. (This may be done in advance.) Best to butter parchment paper to cover bottom of pan and sprinkle with ground almonds.
• Place poppy seeds and honey in a large bowl.
• Separate eggs.
• Add room-temperature yolks, one by one, to the mix, beating until thick.
• Stir in grated almonds and lemon zest.
• Beat egg whites until satiny but no dry.
• Fold a little into the mixture, then fold in the rest, until no white shows.
• Pour mixture into pan, rapping it gently to release air pockets, and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• Do not open oven door or disturb the cake while baking.
• Cool slowly, not in a draft.
• Run a sharp knife around the sides, then slowly release the spring.
• Run a knife under the bottom and cool on rack.
• TO FILL CAKE: Cover work surface with double sheets of wax paper.
• With a sharp knife, make a small incision around the torte to mark where it should be cut in half.
• Make horizontal cuts at four equidistant points, then gently pull a long thread through the cake to cut it into two layers.
• Sprinkle bottom layer with 2 or 3 tablespoons of rum, and evenly spread rum butter filling about 3/4 inch thick.
• Cover with top layer and press gently.
• Cover the sides with the rest of the filling.
• Refrigerate overnight wrapped in foil.
• TO ICE CAKE, cover work surface or a lazy susan with wide double-strength foil.
• Apply a third of the icing to sides with a spatula, pulling from the bottom up.
• Wipe spatula occasionally to avoid pulling crumbs, and dip in hot water to smooth out ridges.
• With the rest of the icing, smoothly cover the top.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 days.
• Run a sharp knife around bottom to release icing from paper.
• Slide the torte onto one hand, pull off the remaining paper and gently place torte on serving platter, taking care not to crack the icing.
• Yields about 20 slices.
• Keeps well in refrigerator.
• Serve at room temperature.
• RUM BUTTER FILLING: (Rumova masa) This is an excellent cream, the base of which may be used with different flavors.
• Here, rum is used.
• It is used as a filling for the poppy seed torte.
• This filling can also be used as icing.
• Cream butter until light, add sugar a little at a time, rum, and cream.
• Beat until very fluffy.
• WHITE ICING: Bila Shklytsia.
• This hard icing dries quickly and forms a lovely cover for a torte.
• It cures hard, not fluffy.
• Place 2 cups sugar in a bowl and add cream and vanilla.
• Mix well, gradually adding the rest of the sugar.
• Add a little more cream if too stiff.

UKRAINIAN KYIVSKY TORTE

Steps:

• Beat the 12 egg Yolks until light and beat in the sugar gradually (a tablespoon at a time).
• Beat until lemon colored, light and fluffy.
• Fold in the bread crumbs and the nuts.
• Beat the 12 egg whites until stiff.
• Lighten the nut mixture with a bit of the egg whites and then genly fold into the mixture the rest of the whites.
• Butter 2 deep layer pans 9 or 10 inch springform pans (shallow pans may cause the batter to run over in the oven) with soft butter and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs.
• Regular pans can be used, in this case use parchment paper for the bottom of pan and grease the paper also.
• Bake in a 325 F.
• oven for about 30--35 minutes.
• Test cake with a toothpick in the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done.
• Cool for 10 minutes and gently with a knife go around the cake to loosen and gently invert and place on a cake rack.
• Fill and frost the cake with the filling.
• If you wish more layers cut each cake in half and fill so that you will have 4 layers.
• FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FILLING AND ICING: Over simmering water in a double boiler add 1 cup HOT strong coffee and add the chocolate, mixing well to melt.
• In a separate bowl-- Beat the 5 egg yolks until light and set aside.
• Blend 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the flour in the remaining 1/2 cup COLD coffee and blend well until smooth and free of any lumps.
• Add the flour mixture to the whipped egg yolks and mix well.
• Add this mixture whisking quickly to the melted chocolate (in the double boiler) and cook until thickens stirring frequently for about 10 minutes.
• When mixture has thickened set it aside to COOL.
• Beat 1 cup unsalted butter with the 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy and gradually beat in the cold chocolate pudding mixture little at a time into the butter and beat until fluffy.

CHOCOLATE TURTLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
• Combine and mix well cake mix, butter, eggs, water, oil and 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels and 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk. Stir mixture, heating until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Evenly spread over the baked cake layer. Sprinkle generously with chopped pecans. Cover with remaining cake batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Frost with Turtle Cake Frosting.
• Turtle Cake Frosting:.
• Combine butter, cocoa, and evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over cooled cake.
• Store loosely covered at room temperature.

UKRAINIAN GREAT GRANDMA'S PRUNE TORTE

Steps:

• Use vegetable spray to butter 5 round layer cake pans (8-inch pans) and dust with flour, remove excess.
• Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the extract, salt, and almonds. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Roll each of them between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper to fit the pan, or pat the dough evenly into the pans gently. Bake in a moderate oven 325 to 350°F for 20 minutes, or until delicately browned. Reduce temperature if it starts to get too brown. Remove from the pans while still hot. Cool. Prepare the filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: Cook the prunes in water just to cover until they plump up. Take prunes out of the liquid, pit them and grind them.
• Bring to the boiling point the ground prunes with the 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and prune liquid. Put the layers together with the warm filling. Let the torte stand for about a day (24 hours) before cutting it. Serve in slices.

GRANDMA'S HICKORY NUT CAKE

Steps:

• For the Cake: Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Mix dry ingredients together lightly with a fork. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Mix well. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9-inch pan (or 2 8-inch round cake pans). Bake at 325 F for 45--50 minutes. Cool.
• For the Frosting: Make frosting by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar; boil 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm. Beat in sugar and vanilla. (You may add 1/2 cup chopped hickory nuts if desired.) Frost the cake and decorate with reserved hickory nuts.