This Ukrainian Christmas cake recipe is known as perekladanets and, despite its name, is served year-round. Because it's a little time-consuming to make, it's usually served for special occasions.
The name perekladanets comes from the Ukrainian word for "to layer" and refers to the four thin layers of sweet yeast dough with various fillings like poppy seed, date, apricot, walnut or just cinnamon-sugar. This recipe calls for poppy seed, walnut, and date. This cake is similar to Russian Torte, except the latter is made with three layers of dough and a meringue top.
Ingredients
- For the Sweet Yeast Dough (Zdobne Drizhdzhove Tisto):
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup water (lukewarm)
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter3/4 cup scalded milk (still hot)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- For the Poppy Seed Filling (Nachinka z Maku):
- 1/2 pound poppy seeds (ground with a spice grinder)
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice)
- Optional: zest of 1 lemon or orange
- For the Date Filling (Nachinka z Daktiliv):
- 2 packages/16 ounces dates (pitted, chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups apricot preserves
- For the Walnut Filling (Nachinka z Voloskikh Horikhiv):
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 pound walnuts (ground, not chopped, in a food processor)
- For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg (beaten with 1 teaspoon milk)
Steps to Make It
Make the Dough
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Gather the dough ingredients.
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Stir together the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water in a small bowl. Let the yeast bloom until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
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Add the butter to the hot milk and stir until melted. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and let the mixture cool to lukewarm (no hotter than 110 degrees).
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Beat the eggs in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until thick, a few minutes. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and the milk-butter mixture and mix briefly to combine.
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Add the yeast mixture and beat well to combine. Add the salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until incorporated. Add the remaining 2 cups flour and mix in until moistened. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be sticky.
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap or a linen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Make the Fillings and Assemble the Cake
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Gather the ingredients.
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Make the poppyseed filling. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
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Gradually beat in the sugar.
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Add vanilla or juice and zest if using.
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Fold in ground poppy seeds.
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Make the date filling. In a medium bowl, stir together the dates and apricot preserves.
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Make the walnut filling. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.
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Gradually beat in the sugar.
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Add vanilla and fold in the ground walnuts.
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Assemble the cake. Divide the risen yeast dough into four equal pieces.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a thin rectangle as large as you can—anywhere from 13 x 9 inches to 18 x 13 inches—and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Spread the poppy seed filling to within 1/2 inch on all sides.
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Roll the second piece of dough to the same size as the first and place on top of the poppy seed filling.
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Spread on the date filling, same as before, to within 1/2 inch on all sides.
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Roll out the third piece of dough to the same size as the first and place on top of the date filling.
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Spread on the walnut filling, same as before, to within 1/2 inch on all sides.
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Roll out the final piece of dough about 1 inch larger on all sides than the others. Place on top of the walnut filling, pressing the edges together and turning them under so no filling escapes.
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Cover with a lint-free towel and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. It will only rise a little.
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prick the cake all over with a fork and brush with egg wash.
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Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil.
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Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
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When cool, wrap in foil and place in the refrigerator. A cold cake makes cutting into squares or diamonds much easier. Some cooks dust the cake with confectioners' sugar.
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Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure your yeast is alive before adding it to the dough. The yeast and water mixture should foam. Store yeast in the freezer to extend its shelf life.
- Whipping the egg whites part of the way then adding the sugar bit by bit ensures a more stable foam that won't deflate as readily.
- When you add the sugar to the egg whites, add it tablespoon by tablespoon, allowing each tablespoon to be incorporated before adding the next. Adding the sugar all at once can cause the meringue to deflate.
- Don't forget to poke holes in the top dough layer before baking. This prevents air bubbles from expanding the dough during baking. If you do forget, it's not the end of the world, but your cake may have an uneven top.
How to Store
Store slices in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. Alternatively, wrap slices individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Let the cake thaw overnight at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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410 | Calories |
20g | Fat |
51g | Carbs |
12g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 410 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 20g | 26% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
Cholesterol 2mg | 1% |
Sodium 74mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 51g | 19% |
Dietary Fiber 7g | 26% |
Protein 12g | |
Calcium 306mg | 24% |
*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. |
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