Kyiv cake

Kyiv cake originated in Kyiv in Ukraine back in the 1950s. Two layers of light sponge, slathered with apricot jam and sandwiched together with a layer of crunchy meringue and iced with chocolate or coffee buttercream.

Kyiv cake

SERVES

12

PEOPLE

COOKING TIME

120

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • 4 organic eggs

  • 100g caster sugar

  • 110g plain white flour

  • 50g clarified butter, melted

  • 1 x 23xm (9 inches) disc of hazelnut meringue made with:

  • 45g (scant 2oz) whole hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and coarsely chopped

  • 2 egg whites, preferably free-range

  • 110g (4oz) icing sugar

  • 8 tablespoons apricot jam

  • Chocolate buttercream Icing

  • Hazelnut praline 

Method

  1. First make the genoise. Prepare 1 x 23cm (9 inch) round genoise tin, greased and lined with silicone paper Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

  2. Whisk the eggs with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Sieve the flour into the mixture in three batches, folding each batch as lightly as possible with a wooden spatula or wooden spoon. Just after the last batch, pour the cooled, clarified butter around the side of the bowl and fold in gently and quickly (because the whisked mixture quickly loses volume after the butter is added.

  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool. When cold, divide the cake in half horizontally with a serrated bread knife.

  4. To Roast the hazelnuts. Roast the hazelnuts at 180ËšC/350ËšF/Gas Mark 4 for 10 mins or until golden. Rub off the skins in a tea-towel.

  5. Allow to cool, chop coarsely to fold into the meringue.

  6. To make the hazelnut meringue.

  7. Draw a 23cm (9 inch) circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Check that the bowl is dry, spotlessly clean and free from grease. Mix all the icing sugar with the egg whites in the bowl, whisk until the mixture forms stiff dry peaks. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts quickly. Spread the meringue evenly over the circle with a palette knife. Bake immediately in a cool fan oven, 120ËšC/250ËšF/Gas Mark 1/2 for 45 minutes or until crisp. Turn off the oven and allow to cool. The meringue disc should peel easily off the silicone paper.

  8. To assemble the cake. Put a layer of sponge on a plate. Slather the base of both sponges with some apricot jam. Add a layer of chocolate buttercream. Top with the meringue disc. Spread with buttercream and add the final layer of sponge, apricot jam side downwards. Ice the sides and top of the cake generously with the chocolate buttercream. Decorate with a few rosettes of icing and add lots of coarsely chopped hazelnut praline to the sides and around the outer edge of top of the cake. Decorate with a few whole hazelnut praline. Allow to sit for several hours or overnight to soften. Enjoy.

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