Polish Moldy Cake Recipe (Plesniak)

Cocoa
antonios mitsopoulos/Moment/Getty Images
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 8 to 12 servings

Don't be put off by the name of this recipe—Polish moldy cake or plesniak. It's delicious and easy. It is made with various fillings, but the most popular are prune, cherry, or apple. The name for this layered dessert undoubtedly comes from its appearance.

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg yolks

  • 1 cup sugar, divided

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 9 ounces butter, room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

  • 4 large egg whites

  • 3 (12 to 14-ounce) cans cherry pie filling, or prune filling

Steps to Make It

  1. To make the dough: In a medium bowl, beat together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until thick and lemon-colored. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, butter, and vanilla. Then add the egg-yolk mixture and mix thoroughly.

  2. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Mix 1 portion of dough with cocoa powder until well blended. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.

  3. To assemble the cake: Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Take out one piece of dough and roll it to fit the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the prune or cherry filling evenly over the base of the cake.

  4. Remove the cocoa-flavored dough from the refrigerator and grate it on top of the fruit filling.

  5. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form and spread on top of the grated cocoa dough.

  6. Remove the last portion of dough from the refrigerator and grate it on top of the egg whites. Bake 40 to 60 minutes or until egg whites are set and top is golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
288 Calories
2g Fat
61g Carbs
6g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 288
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 96mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 46mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 165mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)