Karpatka – Polish Carpathian Mountain Cream Cake

A beautifully well-made Karpatka, a Polish Carpathian cream cake recipe, is a true masterpiece that features layers of delicate airy choux pastry with a rich and creamy Mousseline filling. It looks like the rugged Carpathian Mountains. A perfect balance and worth every work you did!

Calling all desserts to make this big Éclair cake today! This is surprisingly simple to make with step-by-step instructions and an explanation of each ingredient. Don’t let fancy names intimidate you!

History of Karpatka

Karpatka is one of pretty cream cake that has a pretty and memorable masterpiece background history. Karpatka or Eclair Cake, also known as Polish Carpathian Mountain Cream Cake, is a delightful dessert that has captured the hearts of pastry lovers around the world.

It dates back to the 20th century. The recipe was developed around the 1950s but it didn’t become popular until the 80s. Their name originated after the Carpathian Mountains, a 1,500km-long mountain range that arcs across the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, and Ukraine. This popular Polish dessert is meant to look rugged and mountainous, the dough (in this case a choux pastry) creates the effect of mountains, and the icing sugar on top represents the snow, just like the snowy Carpathian Mountains in Poland.

Beautiful layers of Éclair Cake

This Karpatka or Éclair cake a.k.a rugged cream pie has beautiful layers inside. Which are basically cream mousseline (German buttercream) and Crème pattisery or choux pastry. To assemble it, combine a layer of choux pastry then you fill creamy mousseline then layered again with choux pastry on top.

You can garnish with strawberry, cinnamon, powdered sugar and etc. Enjoy a large karpatka slice together with a cup of coffee or tea. You get the crispy, creamy, and light airy feel from the beautiful layer. So, here’s the breakdown of the layers

First, Crème patisserie, also known as pastry cream, is a mixture of milk, sugar, and egg yolks. It is thickened with starch (I use cornstarch), and flavored with Vanilla extracts.

Secondly, Crème mousseline is pastry cream that’s whipped with butter. The result is a decadent, silky smooth vanilla cream similar to frosting that’s perfect for pastries of all kinds, including this choux pastry cake. Crème mousseline or German buttercream is pastry cream beaten together with a ton of soft butter. It’s light, fluffy, creamy, and oh so decadent! The addition of butter also gives it more structure when it’s chilled, making it a perfect filling for this Karpatka cake. This is the thick, rich, custardy vanilla filling for Karpatka.

Let’s dive to the next step for making Each bite is a harmonious blend of crisp, buttery pastry and luscious, velvety cream.

Ingredients of Karpatka Cream Cake

Choux Dough

• Milk & Water: The combination of milk and water creates a balance between flavor and texture. Milk adds richness, while water helps achieve a lighter and crispier choux pastry.
• Unsalted Butter: Butter adds essential flavor and fat to the choux dough. As the butter melts and cooks, it creates steam that helps the pastry puff up. Always use unsalted butter for baking so you can control the amount of salt.
• Salt: A small amount of salt enhances the overall flavor of the choux dough and balances the sweetness.
• Sugar: A touch of sugar adds a hint of sweetness and helps with browning during baking.
• All-purpose Flour: This is the foundation of the choux dough, providing structure and stability.
• Egg: Eggs play a crucial role in creating the characteristic puff of choux pastry. The egg whites add volume and structure, while the yolks add richness and contribute to the binding of the dough.

Mousseline Cream

• Milk: Milk forms the base of the cream, providing a smooth and creamy texture.
• Eggs: Whole eggs are used to thicken the cream and add richness. The yolks contribute to the thickening and smooth texture, while the whites add structure.
• Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cream to your desired level.
• Cornstarch:  acts as a thickening agent, transforming the milk and egg mixture into a luscious cream. I use cornstarch to thicken my pastry cream. Cornstarch has no aftertaste and it doesn’t affect the texture or the color of the cream.  It’s typically very easy to find, and many people already have it in their pantries. You could use another type of starch, such as potato starch.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds a delightful vanilla flavor that complements the sweetness of the cream.
• Unsalted Butter (room temperature): Room temperature butter is creamed with the cooked pastry cream to create a smooth and silky mousseline texture.
• Powdered Sugar (for garnish): A dusting of powdered sugar adds a touch of sweetness and a beautiful finishing touch to the cake.

Instructions To Make Karpatka Cream Cake

Mousseline Cream

Begin by heating milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a gentle boil. While the milk is heating, in a medium bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Mix thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved.

Add cornstarch to the egg mixture, stirring continuously until the mixture is smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Once well combined, return the mixture to the saucepan and place it back on the heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it thickens to a custard-like consistency.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract until fully incorporated. To prevent skin from forming, cover the cream with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface directly. Let it cool completely.

Choux

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare a cake pan with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat.

Once boiling, remove the saucepan from heat and quickly add the flour, stirring vigorously, then return the saucepan to low heat and cook the mixture for an additional one to two minutes, until the dough forms a smooth and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Gradually add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously until the dough is smooth, glossy, and uniform in texture.

Divide the choux dough evenly into two portions and pour it into a cake pan that line with a parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool completely in the pan.

Assembly

In a mixing bowl, whisk the butter until creamy. Gradually add the cooled mousseline cream to the butter, whisking continuously until well combined.

Once the choux layers are completely cooled, carefully remove one layer from the cake pan and place it back into the pan.

Pour the prepared mousseline cream evenly over the bottom choux layer. Fill any gaps in the second choux layer with a bit of mousseline cream, then gently place it on top of the cream-covered layer in the cake pan.

Refrigerate the assembled cake for 2-4 hours to allow it to set and chill. Before serving, dust the top of the Karpatka cake generously with powdered sugar and garnish with strawberry!

Slice and enjoy your delicious Karpatka cake!

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