Prague Cake - general principles and methods of cooking
There is an opinion that the traditional-classic recipe of the cake “Prague” came to us from the capital of the Czech Republic. In fact, the dessert was given this name due to the eponymous restaurant, which was first created by the hands of a talented pastry chef - Guralnik Vladimir.
Everybody knows and loves the taste of Prague cake. For a long time, the recipe of the cake was kept in the strictest confidence. For the Soviet people - “Prague” was a very expensive treat, but the delicacy was bought up in a few days.
Entrepreneurial housewives in every possible way tried to reveal the secret and recreate the recipe of the preparation of "Prague". In the course were a variety of products. For example, sour cream, vanilla and almonds were added to the biscuit. The cream was obtained using condensed milk, cocoa, sour cream and softened butter or natural chocolate. However, no matter what ingredients Soviet women use, the classic “Prague” was and remains only one.
Despite the fact that the cake has lost its former “secrecy”, it has not lost the most important thing - approval and love from the real gourmets. Today, any confectioner who is more or less knowledgeable about his business will be able to easily make this wonderful cake.
Prague Cake - Food Preparation
So, the traditional “Prague” includes chocolate sponge cake (cocoa, flour, sugar, butter, eggs; flour is usually sieved together with cocoa powder), cut across into three equal parts, Prague cream consisting of condensed milk, soft butter , cocoa and chicken yolks. This cream is impregnated with the lower and middle cakes, the latter is usually covered with thick fruit and berry jam. After laying and soaking the cakes, the cake is filled with glossy chocolate icing and decorated with chocolate chips, nuts or cream residues.
Prague Cake - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Prague Cake according to GOST
This recipe of “Prague” is as close as possible to Gostovsky, therefore for making a cake we advise you to purchase an electronic scale. It is very difficult to measure the necessary amount of ingredients on ordinary scales. Ingredients:
For sponge cake:
- premium flour 116 gr.
- butter 38 gr.
- 151 gr. Sahara
- 23 gr. cocoa powder
- egg without shell 335 gr.
For cream:
- butter 199 gr.
- cocoa powder 9 gr.
- egg yolk 21 gr.
- Condensed whole milk with sugar 120 gr.
- 21 gr. water
- 0.1-0.2 g. vanillin
For chocolate coating:
- 91 gr. Sahara
- 30 gr. water
- starch syrup 14 gr.
- cocoa powder 6 gr.
- vanilla 0.3 gr.
- 0.3 gr. fruit essence
Method of preparation:
1. Form the dough, bake the biscuit.
Divide sugar in two, separate the whites from the yolks. Flour mixed with cocoa, sift. Butter is slightly heated. Beat the yolks with the first part of the sugar. Beat diligently and for a long time so that not a single crystal remains. Next, beat the proteins until fluffy foam, then pour the remaining sugar into them, beat again with a mixer until the sucrose is dissolved.
Now we mix whipped whites and yolks, gradually, gently, without ceasing to interfere. Next, put in a mixture of softened butter and flour, sifted with cocoa. Make the dough, gently, so that the squirrels do not settle, and pour it into a round shape covered with parchment. We preheat the oven and send the dough there for 30-45 minutes (at a temperature of 200-210 grams). Ready made sponge cake in the form, and then remove it for 6-8 hours.
2. Cooking cream.
Mix the water with the yolk, add condensed milk. Put the mixture in a water bath and boil until sour cream, stirring occasionally. After that, cool and add to the mixture (in several stages) whipped butter in advance. At the end add cocoa and beat for about two minutes.
3. Prepare the icing.
Heat the sugar with water until syrup is formed. In a separate bowl, molasses (up to 50-60 degrees) and pour it into the syrup. We continue to boil down the syrup. After a few minutes, add the fruit essence to it.
4. Fold the cake.
Exactly cut the biscuit across into three parts (equal). Lower and middle cakes soaked with cream. All cream leaves on impregnation. We coat the topmost cake with fruit jam (apricot or peach) and pour over it with warm glaze. On request, Prague Cake can be sprinkled with chocolate chips and decorated with chocolate cream on top. Here is a classic turned out!
Recipe 2: Prague cake made from sour cream sponge cake with liqueur
A delicate cake baked according to this recipe is also based on generally accepted cooking principles, but a slightly modified recipe allows you to significantly change the taste of the dessert. At the same time, the analogue is no less tasty and appetizing.
Ingredients:
For the test:
- two eggs
- 300 gr. sour cream
- a glass of sugar (sand)
- half tea l. soda
- vinegar
- one and a half stack. flour
- half a can of condensed milk with cocoa (sold in stores)
- almond
- pinch of pepper
For cream:
- half a can of condensed milk with cocoa
- 200 gr. soft butter
For syrup and glaze:
- 5 table. lie Sahara
- 2 tbsp. lie water
- 1-2 table. spoons of liquor (optional)
- 50 gr. oils
- 2 tbsp. spoons of milk
- 4 spoons of cocoa
Method of preparation:
1. In a bowl, rub (beat) eggs, sour cream and sugar. We quench the soda and ship it, as well as half a jar of condensed milk, almonds, flour and a pinch of pepper into the mixture. Knead the dough. Put it in a round shape and bake at 200 degrees. Cool the ready cake and divide across.
2. The second half of condensed milk with cocoa, beat with butter. Make a syrup out of water, sugar, pour liquor at the end. We saturate the cakes with syrup and coat them with cream, stacking each other.
3. Making the icing. To do this, mix the sugar with milk, butter and cocoa. We put everything on fire and boil two or three minutes from the moment of boiling, without ceasing to interfere. Cool the icing to a warm state and pour the cake. From above we decorate dessert with everything that comes to hand (within reason, naturally).
Recipe 3: Cake “Old Prague”
Well, we already understood how a real classic Prague cake is made - it is traditionally filled with chocolate icing. But in the following recipe, we will do a little differently: we will smear the dessert with whipped condensed milk, cover it with pounded walnuts on all sides, and decorate it with white chocolate chips.
Ingredients:
- two eggs
- one stack. Sahara
- one stack. sour cream
- bank of condensed milk (half for dough, half for impregnation)
- a little soda
- one and a half stack. flour - 2 tbsp. lie cocoa
For cream:
- boiled condensed milk jar
- 100 gr. oils
- white chocolate "Air"
- walnuts (crushed, peeled)
Method of preparation:
1. Make the dough and the cake: beat the eggs and sugar together, divide the mixture into two parts. In one add cocoa, sour cream, condensed milk and soda. All mix well, gradually pouring flour. Fill the not too thick dough into a mold and bake at 190 degrees. Check the readiness with a thin wooden stick (match or toothpick). Prepare the sponge cake and cut it in half.
2. Whip butter and condensed milk in a bowl - this is for cream. Next, we grease the cakes first with condensed milk, then we smear the resulting cream and glue the two halves. Once again we process the top of the cake and the sides. Sprinkle with nuts and decorate (top) with a layer of grated white chocolate. You can do differently, melt the chocolate and pour them a cake. That's all, the cake is ready!
Recipe 4: Chiffon Prague Cake
Why chiffon? What is the difference between chiffon Prague from the usual? We explain: for the preparation of such a cake, we will use the so-called chiffon sponge cake, which contains vegetable oil instead of butter.
Ingredients:
- 230 gr. sugar (180 + 50)
- 200 gr. flour
- a little baking powder (1-2 tablespoons)
- 170 ml of water
- 130 ml of vegetable oil
- cocoa 60 gr.
- half a spoon (table) coffee
- egg whites - 8 pieces
- 5 yolks
- a little salt and soda
For cream:
- soft plums. butter 200 gr.
- 3 yolks
- 4-6 table. lie condensed milk
- 1 hour l. water
- 60 gr. chocolate
- 1 spoon of brandy
For the glaze:
- sugar - three Art. spoons
- cocoa powder - 2 tbsp. lie
- 2 tsp of ghee
- 50 gr. jam (preferably thick)
- 6 spoons of water (canteens)
Method of preparation:
1. Cocoa mix until smooth with instant coffee and water. Eggs divided into yolks and squirrels. Beat yolks from 180 gr. sugar, gradually pouring in vegetable oil. At the end add cocoa mix with coffee. Once again, thoroughly whisk. Add baking powder, flour and soda, knead the dough. Next, beat the proteins with the remaining sugar and mix with the bulk. We bake dough using the methods described above (see recipe 1, 2). Leave the biscuit alone for 5-6 hours. 2. Cooking cream. Beat yolks with water and condensed milk. The resulting mixture is sent to a water bath until thick (to the consistency of condensed milk), stirring regularly. At the end put the chocolate, remove the mixture from the bath and wait until the chocolate melts. Then mix thoroughly, so that no unpainted interlayers remain. Cool and lay out in a mixture of plums. oil, add brandy and mix. The cream is ready.
3. Putting the cake. Cake divided into three parts. Lower and middle soak cream. Put the third cake, smear the cake on the sides with cream (do not touch the top). Cover the top with thick fruit jam and remove the cake in the cold for about 15 minutes. At this time, prepare the glaze: mix sugar, cocoa and water in a saucepan and cook syrup from the listed ingredients. Cook until all the sugar crystals dissolve, then add the butter. Hot glaze pour cake. Dessert will be fully prepared after a short stay in the refrigerator.
Prague Cake - tips from experienced chefs
- The classic version of "Prague" provides for baking biscuits in a round, smooth shape with a diameter of 21 centimeters;
- A baked cake sponge will have a more refined taste if you let it “lie down” for 3-6 hours;
- The cake will be juicier and more aromatic if the cakes are soaked with the coffee and liqueur mixture before laying and smearing with cream. For children with sweet teeth, this option is unacceptable, so the coffee and liqueur mixture can be replaced with densely brewed cocoa;
- “Prague” will taste better if you serve a cake in the cold for at least 12-15 hours before serving.
