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Authentic Karpatka Cake (Polish Cream Cake)

Two stacked squares of delicious Karpatka Cake (Polish Cream Cake) featuring flaky pastry and thick vanilla cream, dusted with powdered sugar.
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Make the traditional Polish Karpatka, a dessert featuring two layers of crisp, puffed pastry resembling mountains, filled with rich vanilla custard cream.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • For the Cream Filling:
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Pastry Dough: Combine water, cubed butter, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts completely.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously until a smooth ball of dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  3. Return the pan to low heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let the dough cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide the dough in half. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Spread one half of the dough evenly into one prepared pan.
  6. Bake the bottom layer at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Remove from oven.
  7. For the top layer, spread the remaining dough onto the second parchment-lined pan. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp. Let both layers cool completely.
  8. Prepare the Custard Filling: Heat the milk in a saucepan until simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks.
  9. Slowly temper the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
  10. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens significantly, resembling a thick pudding. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely.
  11. Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the cooled custard mixture until the filling is smooth and light.
  12. Assemble the Cake: Place the bottom pastry layer on a serving plate. Spread the entire custard filling evenly over the bottom layer.
  13. Carefully place the top, powdered-sugar-dusted pastry layer on top of the cream. Press down very gently to adhere.
  14. Chill the cake for at least 4 hours before serving. Dust the top with extra powdered sugar before slicing.

Notes

  • For the best ‘mountain’ peaks, do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes of baking the pastry layers.
  • Ensure the custard base is completely cool before beating it into the softened butter; otherwise, the filling will separate.
  • You can use a store-bought puff pastry for a quicker version, but the texture will differ from traditional Karpatka.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sundayflavor.com/karpatka-cake-polish-cream-cake-recipe/