Greta Garbo Cake

The Greta Garbo cake features delicate layers filled with apricot jam and walnuts, and once baked, it has a taste reminiscent of a denser sweet bread. The dough needs to rise before being rolled out, and after layering all four sheets, the cake is left to rise a bit more in the pan. The chocolate glaze is a nice touch, but if you prefer a simpler flavor, it can be replaced with powdered sugar, which is what I would do for my next preparation. Quick info Total time: unspecified; the recipe includes two rising stages and cooling the cake before glazing Preparation time: includes 40-50 minutes for the first rise and another 30 minutes for the second rise Baking time: 40-45 minutes Oven temperature: 180 degrees Celsius Servings: the number depends on the size of the pieces Difficulty: medium Recipe type: layered cake with risen dough, walnuts, and jam Ingredients For the layers, for a 38 x 25 cm pan 750 g flour 200 g butter 2 eggs 100 g powdered sugar 25 g fresh yeast 250 g sour cream (18% fat) 1 teaspoon salt Vanilla Grated zest of one lemon For the filling 400 g ground walnuts 100 g sugar 1 jar of apricot jam, approximately 400 g For the glaze 200 g chocolate (50% cocoa) 1 tablespoon powdered sugar Liquid cream, as needed to thin the chocolate Preparation method 1. Take out all the ingredients for the dough in advance so they reach room temperature. This is especially important for the butter, eggs, and sour cream. 2. Place the fresh yeast in a bowl, add a teaspoon of sugar, and mix until the yeast liquefies. No additional liquid is needed at this stage. 3. In a separate bowl, mix the butter with the powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. 4. Incorporate the liquefied yeast into the butter and egg mixture, then add the sour cream, vanilla, and grated lemon zest. 5. Mix the flour with the salt and gradually add it to the bowl. In the original recipe, 500 g of flour was used first, but the dough needed another 250 g. The final amount is 750 g. 6. Knead until you obtain a consistent dough. Cover it and let it rise for 40-50 minutes. 7. Meanwhile, grind the walnuts and mix them with the 100 g of sugar. Prepare the jam so it's ready when you start assembling the cake. 8. Line the 38 x 25 cm pan with parchment paper. Prepare another sheet of the same size. This will be useful for rolling out and transferring the layers. 9. After the dough has risen, divide it into four equal parts. Each piece will become one layer. 10. Sprinkle a little flour on the prepared paper and roll out the first piece of dough. The sheet should be the size of the pan. To transfer it more easily, roll the dough up with the paper on a rolling pin. 11. Unroll the sheet into the pan, leaving the paper on top. Carefully remove the paper, then fit the sheet into the pan. 12. Spread a layer of apricot jam over the first sheet and sprinkle some of the walnut-sugar mixture on top. 13. Roll out the second sheet on the paper, transfer it to the pan in the same way, and place it over the first layer of filling. Continue with jam and walnuts. 14. Repeat the steps for the third sheet. Add jam and walnuts again, then place the last sheet of dough on top. 15. Prick the top layer with a fork. This step helps release steam during baking. 16. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let the cake rise for about 30 more minutes. 17. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes. Check if it is baked with a toothpick, especially towards the end of the baking time. 18. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool completely before applying the glaze. 19. For the glaze, break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a double boiler. Add the powdered sugar and liquid cream gradually until you achieve a suitable consistency for spreading. 20. Spread the glaze over the cooled cake. Let it set until firm, then cut the cake into pieces. Why I make this recipe often It’s a perfect cake when I want something with layers and filling, but with a taste similar to sweet bread. The walnuts and apricot jam create a rich layer, and the risen dough is not difficult to prepare, even if assembling the four layers requires a bit of patience. If I were to make the cake again, I would skip the chocolate glaze and sprinkle powdered sugar on top after cooling. This way, the flavor of the jam, walnuts, and layers remains more pronounced. Tips All ingredients for the dough should be at room temperature. The butter mixes more easily, and the dough binds better when you don’t use cold ingredients straight from the fridge. In the recipe, the dough required the full amount of 750 g of flour. Add the flour gradually, but keep the final amount specified in the ingredients if the dough remains too soft and doesn’t have the necessary consistency to be rolled out. The parchment paper used for rolling out the layers makes the transfer much simpler. The sheets are fragile before baking and can tear if you try to lift them directly with your hands. Do not skip the second rising. After assembling the cake, the 30 minutes of resting help the dough rise again before going into the oven. Only prick the top sheet with a fork before baking. Checking with a toothpick is safer than strictly adhering to the time, as ovens can bake differently. Substitutions The apricot jam is the one used in the base recipe and gives the filling its specific flavor. If you don’t have this type of jam, you can substitute it with another jam, but the final taste will be different. The glaze can be replaced with powdered sugar. This is also the preferred option for a cake with a simpler flavor, without a chocolate layer. For the glaze, add liquid cream only as needed to thin the chocolate. The amount is not fixed, as it depends on the consistency achieved after melting. Variations A simple variation is to keep all four layers and the walnut and jam filling but skip the chocolate glaze after cooling. The cake can be dusted with sugar. For a different look, you can cut the layers into smaller pieces after cooling. The serving size is not specified in the recipe, so it can be adapted based on how you want it to be served. Serving ideas Cut the cake only after it has cooled completely, and if you used glaze, after it has set. It can be served as a homemade dessert alongside coffee or tea. Frequently asked questions Why was 750 g of flour needed? During preparation, 500 g of flour was found to be insufficient for the desired dough consistency. An additional 250 g was added, making the final amount used 750 g. The dough needs to be firm enough to be divided and rolled into four layers. Can I skip the first rising? It is not recommended. The dough should rise for 40-50 minutes before being divided and rolled out. After assembly, the cake needs about 30 more minutes of rising in the pan. How do I transfer the layers without tearing them? Roll out each layer on floured paper, then roll the paper up with the dough on a rolling pin. Transfer the layer to the pan, leave the paper on top, and carefully peel it off after the dough is placed. When can the cake be cut? After baking, the cake needs to cool. If you used glaze, it should set before cutting, or else it may stick to the knife and shift off the surface. Nutritional values The values below are estimates and refer to approximately 100 g of cake, including the glaze. The calculation may vary depending on the type of jam, the amount of liquid cream used, and the size of the pieces. Calories: approximately 380-420 kcal Protein: approximately 6-7 g Carbohydrates: approximately 45-50 g Fats: approximately 20-23 g Sugars: approximately 20-25 g The cake contains gluten flour, eggs, dairy, walnuts, and chocolate. The values are indicative, not an exact nutritional calculation. Storage and reheating Store the cake covered in a cool place. Reheating is not necessary, and the texture of the layers and filling is suitable for serving at room temperature. If stored in the fridge, the glaze and butter in the dough will harden. Before serving, let the pieces reach room temperature. For better texture, do not heat the cake in the microwave, as the glaze may melt and the jam may become too soft.

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