Polish “Pani Walewska” Cake with Raspberry and Walnut

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

• Raspberry сonfit. The classic recipe calls for blackcurrant jam. For variations, the jam can be anything: strawberry, raspberry, cherry, etc. , but keep in mind that it is best to use an ingredient that adds a touch of sourness. I used freshly made confit because, unlike store-bought jam, it allows you to adjust the amount of sugar. If you have thick raspberry jam with reasonable amounts of sugar, you can skip making the confit and use the jam instead.
• Nuts. The original recipe calls for almond flakes. My variation uses walnuts, which have a unique flavor. If you prefer, you can make the cake with roasted hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, or other nuts of your choice.
• Starch. If you’re making confit rather than using jam, as I am, starch may be an issue. The recipe uses cornstarch. If you are substituting potato starch, use half as much.
• Meringue. In this case, it is prepared using the French method — simply by gradually adding sugar to the egg whites. You can make Swiss or Italian meringue if you prefer, but there’s no point in doing so because the egg whites are subjected to a long heat treatment anyway.
• Flour. For this cake, all-purpose flour will suffice. Strong bread flour is not suitable; the dough will turn out tough.
• Sugar. For this recipe, it is better to use a finer sugar because it dissolves faster and more completely in the dough. You can also use brown sugar for the filling to give the cake a light caramel flavor.
• Butter. In this case, it is better to use unsalted butter with at least 80% fat.
• Eggs. This recipe uses medium-sized eggs weighing about 55-60 grams without shells.
  The yolks are used in the dough to give it a more delicate texture. The leftover egg whites are used for the meringue.
  In this case, the pastry cream is made with whole eggs.

I baked the crust for this cake on a standard 30*40 cm (12″x16″) baking sheet and cut it in half. The rolled-out dough sheet measures 37×30 cm (15″x12″).

Let’s start cooking!

Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat.

While the milk heats up, combine the eggs, sugar, starch, and vanilla sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.

Continue whisking and gradually pour the boiling milk into the mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return it to the stove. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Transfer the cooked mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool. To speed up the process, you can put the bowl with the pastry cream in a larger bowl of ice water.

Make the dough.

Combine the butter, salt, and sugar and beat until creamy. The sugar will not dissolve completely; this is normal.

Add the yolks and beat until smooth. Then, add the sour cream and beat again. Add the sifted flour and baking powder, then knead the dough.

Refrigerate the dough for at least half an hour. To make rolling it into a rectangular layer easier after chilling, put the dough in a plastic bag and flatten it into a rectangular shape.

Place the dough in the refrigerator.

Prepare the raspberry confit.

Combine the frozen raspberries and sugar in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Then, stirring constantly, add the starch diluted in cold water. Cook until thickened, which will take another 1-2 minutes.

Prepare the nuts.

Place the nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat and roast, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the pan and let cool. Chop it not too finely with a knife.

Prepare the meringue.

Do this just before rolling out the dough.

Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and start beating on medium speed. Gradually add the sugar, increasing the speed to maximum after adding the first third. Add the rest of the sugar gradually, whipping the mixture to medium peaks.

Prepare the cake for baking.

Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out into a rectangular layer. It is easiest to roll it out directly on the parchment paper that you will bake it on. Measure a sheet that will fit perfectly on the baking tray, and roll the dough so that, in the end, you have an indentation from the edge about a 1 cm deep.

Transfer the parchment with the dough to the baking tray, making a small border.

Place the confit on the dough and spread it evenly.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the confit. Cover with meringue and spread.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for about 1 hour.

Let the finished cake cool directly on the baking sheet. Then, cut it into 2 pieces and remove it from the parchment paper.

Finish the pastry cream.

Using a mixer, beat the cooled pastry cream until smooth. Gradually add the softened butter and beat until smooth.

Assemble the cake.

Place one half of the cake on a tray or dish and spread the cream on top.

Cover with the other half of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight. Then, cut it into serving pieces.

For the best flavor and texture, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

This Polish “Pani Walewska” Cake with Raspberry and Walnut recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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