Ingredients
Meringue layers
- 8egg whites, aged 12 to 24 hours
- 300 gsugar
- 150 ghazelnuts or cashews, roasted and chopped
- 50 gplain flour
- 1 tspvanilla
Buttercream
- 400 gbutter, softened
- 200 mlmilk
- 200 gsugar
- 2egg yolks
- 1 tbspcognac
- 1 tspvanilla
Chocolate portion
- 2 tbspcocoa powder
To finish
- chopped nuts
- buttercream for piping
Directions
- Whisk the aged whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time until stiff and glossy. Fold in the roasted chopped nuts, flour and vanilla with a light hand.
- Fold, do not stir. The nuts are heavy and every extra turn knocks air out of a meringue you spent ten minutes building.
- Spread the mixture into two lined circles of equal size on baking trays. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 2 hours, until completely dry and pale gold. Two hours is not a typo.
- Turn the oven off and leave them inside to cool completely. Now the crucial rest: leave the cooled meringue layers, uncovered, at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.
- Cool the custard completely, with film pressed onto the surface so no skin forms. Beat the softened butter until pale and light, then add the cold custard a spoonful at a time. Both must be at the same cool room temperature.
- Beat in the cognac and vanilla, then set aside a third and beat the cocoa into it. Press chopped nuts around the sides and pipe the chocolate buttercream over the top in the traditional chestnut-blossom pattern.
- Chill for at least 6 hours before cutting, so the buttercream firms and the layers settle. Cut it with a serrated knife in a sawing motion, because meringue shatters under a straight press.
Technique
- The original used cashews, then hazelnuts through the shortage years, and both are considered correct.
- Roshen holds the trademark and the official recipe remains a company secret; this is the widely reconstructed home version.
- It keeps three or four days refrigerated and the layers soften slightly, which many people prefer.
Substitutions
- Cashews, hazelnuts or a mix.
- Brandy or rum in place of cognac.
Variations
- With a layer of chocolate ganache between the meringues.
- Made as individual small cakes.
- With walnuts, which is the cheaper domestic version.
History
Hazelnut meringue and buttercream cake created in 1956 at the Karl Marx confectionery factory in Kyiv.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kyiv cake?
Kyiv cake is a dessert from Ukraine: hazelnut meringue layers with chocolate buttercream. Hazelnut meringue and buttercream cake created in 1956 at the Karl Marx confectionery factory in Kyiv.
How long does Kyiv cake take to make?
Kyiv cake takes 1 hr plus overnight resting of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 1 cake. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Kyiv cake?
Yes, within limits. Cashews, hazelnuts or a mix. Brandy or rum in place of cognac.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kyiv cake?
Fold, do not stir. The nuts are heavy and every extra turn knocks air out of a meringue you spent ten minutes building.
