Bled cream cake

Ingredients

Pastry

• 500 gall-butter puff pastry
• icing sugar, for dusting

Custard

• 1 litrewhole milk
• 8egg yolks
• 200 gcaster sugar
• 90 gcornflour
• 2 teaspoonsvanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Meringue element

• 8egg whites
• 100 gcaster sugar

Cream layer

• 600 mldouble cream, very cold
• 3 tablespoonsicing sugar
• 1 teaspoonvanilla

Equipment

• a square tin, about 25 cm
• a sugar thermometer, optional

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 200C for the pastry. Roll the pastry into two sheets to fit the tin. Lay each on a lined baking tray. Prick them all over with a fork. Lay another sheet of paper over each one.
2. Set a second tray on top as a weight. That weight keeps the layers flat and even. Bake them for about twenty minutes. Remove the top tray for the last five minutes. They should be deep golden and completely crisp. Let both sheets cool on a rack. Whisk the cornflour with a little of the cold milk.
3. Work it into a completely smooth slurry. Whisk in the egg yolks and the sugar. Heat the rest of the milk until it steams. Do not let the milk boil over. Pour a ladleful into the yolk mixture and whisk it in. Cooking it needs constant whisking. Set the pan over a medium heat. Whisk continuously and do not stop. Keep whisking hard through that thickening.
4. Let it bubble for two full minutes once thick. It should be extremely thick and hold its shape. Stir in the vanilla and the pinch of salt. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the sugar gradually as you whisk. Take them to a firm glossy meringue. Now fold the hot custard into the meringue. Fold it gently but thoroughly. Assembling the base is done immediately.
5. Line the tin with baking paper. Take the paper up the sides as handles. Trim one pastry sheet to fit the base exactly. Set it in, with the cooked side down. Pour the hot custard mixture over it. Spread it level with a palette knife. Work fast, since it sets as it cools.
6. Let it cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate it for at least three hours. Whip the very cold cream with the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract as well.
7. Take it to soft peaks and no further. It should still fall slowly from the whisk. Spread the whipped cream over the set custard. Take it right to the edges evenly. Now the top pastry needs preparation. Cut the second pastry sheet into twelve squares first. Dust the squares with icing sugar. Lay them back together over the cream.
8. Arrange them so the cuts line up as a grid. Press them down only very gently. Setting it takes a few more hours. Lift the whole slab out using the paper handles. Cut down through the custard and cream layers. Use a long thin knife dipped in hot water. Serving it is always done cold. Lift each square out with a palette knife. The layers should be clearly visible from the side.

Technique

• The cake was created at the Park Hotel in Bled in 1953 by Istvan Lukacevic and the hotel still sells it in large numbers.
• Kremsnita in various forms is made across the former Yugoslavia and in Central Europe, and the Bled version is the best known.

Substitutions

• Ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry works perfectly and is what most home bakers use.
• The meringue can be left out for a denser custard layer, though the cake will be heavier.

Variations

• Some versions use only custard with no separate cream layer.
• A chocolate version is sold in some Slovenian bakeries.
• Croatian and Bosnian kremsnite are close relatives with slightly different proportions.

History

Kremšnita created at Bled’s Park Hotel in 1953 by the confectioner Ištvan Lukačević; millions have been sold beside the lake since.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bled cream cake?

Bled cream cake is a dessert from Slovenia: vanilla custard and cream between crisp pastry, Lake Bled icon. Kremšnita created at Bled’s Park Hotel in 1953 by the confectioner Ištvan Lukačević; millions have been sold beside the lake since.

How long does Bled cream cake take to make?

Bled cream cake takes 45 minutes plus setting of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes one tray, 12 squares. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Bled cream cake?

Yes, within limits. Ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry works perfectly and is what most home bakers use. The meringue can be left out for a denser custard layer, though the cake will be heavier.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bled cream cake?

Work it into a completely smooth slurry. Whisk in the egg yolks and the sugar. Heat the rest of the milk until it steams. Do not let the milk boil over. Pour a ladleful into the yolk mixture and whisk it in. Cooking it needs constant whisking. Set the pan over a medium heat. Whisk continuously and do not stop. Keep whisking hard through that thickening.