Kyiv Cake

For this Sunday Funday, we are making a classic Ukrainian cake: Kyiv Cake. Back in the 50s, the original cake was more like a French dacquoise, with just the nut meringue, filling, and frosting. Nowadays it is often combined with a simple sponge if the baker wants it that way, plus a little jam, almost like a Sacher torte. Bakers love to borrow ideas and incorporate them into their own bakes and I am all for that. Make the bake your own!

For my Kyiv cake, I did choose to use a very simple sponge, just a pinch of salt, eggs, sugar and flour, but you could always add a splash of vanilla. My flavor came from the crémeux, the nuts, and the jam. I saw options of raspberry, peach, and apricot jam, but with the chocolate crémeux, I definitely thought of Sacher torte and decided on apricot. By the way, crémeux au chocolate is basically a créme anglaise mixed with chocolate to make a rich and silky, velvety chocolate custard that can be used as a dessert, or the base of many other things. Here are my notes after years of cooking with sweetened condense milk: keep the heat low. Lower than you think you should. Condensed milk likes to get in a roaring hurry, really fast, and mess things up. With my gas stove, I keep the flame halfway between low and simmer (which is even lower). And I still have to pull the pan and whisk vigorously to prevent disasters. If it starts to steam, pull it off the heat and stir or whisk like mad, then lower the heat even more and keep stirring until it thickens. If it steams, it's almost done anyway. Don't boil, it will go grainy.

If you make a Kyiv cake without the sponge, it will be naturally gluten free! In that case, they tend to combine a creme diplomat or Charlotte buttercream with a whipped ganache and the meringue.

A note for anyone out there that never uses unsalted butter. In this case, go get the unsalted butter for the crémeux buttercream. This is not American frosting, it is UK level sweetness; rich and ultra creamy, but not super sweet. Salted butter will make it too salty. And this is coming from someone who almost always uses salted butter no matter what the recipe says.

Ukrainian Kyiv Cake
makes 1 tall, layered 9 inch cake

Cake:

5 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
⅛ tsp fine sea salt

Meringue:

6 egg whites, room temperature
1⅓ cups sugar
pinch sea salt
pinch cream of tartar
1 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Chocolate Crémeux:

6 egg yolks
⅓ cup water
½ cup (~153g) sweetened condensed milk
4 oz chocolate chips
400g unsalted butter, room temperature (add a pinch of salt but don't use salted butter here)

1½ cups jam (strawberry, peach, or apricot)

Make the sponge:

In a stand mixer, combine the 5 large eggs, sugar and salt. Mix at low speed to combine, then increase to medium-high speed and whip for about 10 minutes or until about tripled in volume. Very strong ribbon stage is the aim. (Under mixing will result in an eggy flavor.)

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour in three or four additions. Be careful not to knock too much air out of the batter.

Scrape the cake batter into a 9-inch, oiled baking pan. A tall-sided round pan or a springform pan will work best.

Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes until golden brown and cake tests done. (A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.)

Cool the cake in pan for 10-15 minutes before loosening the edges and inverting onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely before slicing or storing. Cake may be wrapped and held for a day at room temperature, a week in the refrigerator, or up to three months, double wrapped and frozen.

Meringue:

Whip the egg whites (save the yolks for the crémeux), with salt and cream of tartar on medium speed until they are about doubled in volume.

Gradually add the sugar, a few tbsp at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Gently fold in the chopped hazelnuts. (I personally like a somewhat fine chop, with a smattering of slightly more medium pieces for textural interest.)

Spread the mixture into a tall, 9-inch baking or springform pan, lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake at 250°F for 6 hours. The meringue should be fully crispy all the way through.

Crémeux au chocolate:

In a small saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, water, and condensed milk until smooth.

Cook and stir constantly over very low heat. Slowly increase the heat to low, but do not allow the mixture to boil.

Once the mixture starts to thicken at the bottom and form clumps, pull from the heat and whisk vigorously to combine, then return to very low heat and cook until the mixture fully thickens to a pudding consistency, similar to condensed milk, about 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, to remove any bits of white that were left on the yolks.

Add chocolate chips to the strained mixture. Let sit for a few minutes for the chips to melt, then mix together as for a ganache.

Let the mixture cool off to room temperature. Cover until ready to mix with the butter for the frosting.

In a separate bowl or the stand mixer, beat butter and optional pinch of salt until light and fluffy. Add the crémeux mixture to the butter, a few spoonfuls at a time, until fully blended.

To assemble:

Warm the jam slightly and stir until smooth, so that it will spread easily without tearing the sponge. Using a serrated knife, slice the sponge cake horizontally in half.

Set out the pieces of cake, cut sides up, and spread evenly with a thin layer of jam.

Place the first layer of cake, jam side up, and cover with a layer of the crémeux buttercream.

Top with the meringue and then another layer of buttercream.

Place the second layer of cake, jam side down, on top.

Frost the sides and then the top with the remaining cream.

Decorate as desired with additional hazelnuts or meringue cookies.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, for the meringue to soften and the flavors meld.

Let the cake sit at room temp for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.