Polish Easter cake

Name: Polish Easter cake - Raluca G.
Ingredients: Dough: 150 g flour; 75 g powdered sugar; 1 egg; 100 g soft butter/margarine; 150 ml milk; 2 packets of vanilla sugar; 2 tablespoons cocoa; 1 packet of baking powder. Filling: 500 g cottage cheese; 2 eggs; 150 g sugar; 2 packets of vanilla sugar; 1 tablespoon flour (I actually used three; as I found it necessary); 100 g raisins (which I soaked for 20 minutes in warm water with a little rum essence; then I drained them). Glaze: 3 tablespoons water; 4 tablespoons sugar; 3 tablespoons cocoa; 1 tablespoon butter.

Dessert - Polish Easter cake by Raluca G. - Recipia

In a year, I found myself baking a cheese pie almost every weekend, and among all of them, I liked the Polish cheese pie the most. It was the first time I made it, but I repeated it without hesitation afterward. It has a layer of cocoa dough, a simple filling of cottage cheese with raisins, and a thin layer of cocoa glaze. The recipe is taken from Irina's blog and is made in a round 24 cm form. Quick Info Preparation time: not specified in the original recipe Baking time: 47 minutes in total First baking: 12 minutes at 180°C Second baking: 35 minutes at 180°C Servings: the number is not specified; the pie can be cut according to preference Difficulty: easy to medium Recipe type: festive dessert, cheese pie with cocoa Ingredients Dough 150 g flour 75 g powdered sugar 1 egg 100 g soft butter or margarine 150 ml milk 2 packets vanilla sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 packet baking powder Filling 500 g cottage cheese 2 eggs 150 g sugar 2 packets vanilla sugar 1 tablespoon flour 100 g raisins In the original recipe, 3 tablespoons of flour were used for the filling, as it was considered necessary for the consistency of the mixture. For the raisins: a little warm water and a bit of rum essence for soaking Glaze 3 tablespoons water 4 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa 1 tablespoon butter Preparation method 1. Prepare the dough Place the egg and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix well until the mixture becomes homogeneous. Add the soft butter or margarine and mix a little more. Separately, mix the flour with cocoa, vanilla sugar, and baking powder. Pour the milk into the egg mixture and briefly homogenize. Then incorporate the dry ingredients and mix until you achieve a uniform dough. 2. Prepare the form and bake the first layer Line a round 24 cm form with baking paper. Pour about three-quarters of the dough into the form and try to distribute some of the mixture towards the edges. Place the form in the preheated oven at 180°C and bake the dough for 12 minutes. During this time, you can prepare the cheese filling, as it is made quickly. 3. Prepare the filling Put the cottage cheese in a bowl and add the sugar, vanilla sugar, and the two eggs. Mix until the composition becomes homogeneous. Add the flour and raisins. If using soaked raisins, keep them in warm water with a bit of rum essence for about 20 minutes, then drain them well before adding them to the filling. Mix everything until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Depending on how wet the cheese is, you can use one to three tablespoons of flour, as was done in the original recipe. 4. Assemble the pie Remove the form after the first 12 minutes of baking. Pour the cheese filling over the baked dough layer and level it gently. Put the rest of the dough on top and spread it as evenly as possible, so it covers the cheese layer. 5. Bake the pie Put the form back in the oven and bake the pie for about 35 minutes at 180°C. Once done, remove the form from the oven and let the pie cool. A form with removable sides is useful, as the pie can be removed more easily without being turned over or pressed. Transfer it to a rack and remove the baking paper only after it has completely cooled. 6. Prepare the glaze When the pie is cool, put water, sugar, cocoa, and butter in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir until the ingredients are homogeneous. Pour the glaze over the pie and spread it if necessary. The decoration can be simple, according to preference. Why I make the recipe often I love the combination of cocoa dough and cottage cheese filling, especially since the pie is not just made up of a thick layer of cheese. It slices beautifully after cooling, and the soaked raisins with rum essence give a pleasant taste without overpowering the dessert. Moreover, the dough and filling are prepared without complicated techniques. Tips and variations Tips The butter or margarine must be soft to combine easily with the egg and sugar. If they are cold and hard, the mixture will homogenize more slowly. Respect the first baking stage of 12 minutes. This layer of dough must be baked enough to support the filling but should not be left in the oven too long before adding the cheese. If the cottage cheese is wetter, the filling composition may remain too soft. In this case, more flour can be used, up to the amount mentioned in the original recipe, which is three tablespoons. The raisins should be drained before being added to the filling. Otherwise, the remaining water can further dilute the cheese mixture. Let the pie cool well before removing the paper and before adding the glaze. When it is warm, it can be harder to detach and may break during transfer. Substitutions Butter can be replaced with margarine, just as specified in the recipe. For raisins, warm water with a bit of rum essence can be used, as indicated in the original version. It is not necessary to add them dry if you prefer them to be softer. Cottage cheese remains the base of the filling. The amount of flour can vary between one and three tablespoons, depending on its moisture. Variations The pie can be simply decorated with cocoa glaze. The original recipe does not impose a specific decoration, so it can also be left without any additional toppings. You can spread the glaze over the entire surface or pour it in stripes, depending on the desired appearance. The important thing is that the glaze is applied after the pie has completely cooled. Serving ideas The pie is served cold, after it has completely cooled. It can be sliced and placed directly on a platter without any additional toppings. The cocoa glaze is enough to complete the dessert. Frequently asked questions Can I use a form without removable sides? Yes, but the pie is easier to remove from a form with removable sides. If you use a regular form, it is important to line it well with baking paper and let the pie cool before trying to remove it. How long should the pie be baked? Baking is done in two stages: 12 minutes for the first layer of dough and another 35 minutes after adding the filling and the rest of the dough. In total, the baking time is about 47 minutes at 180°C. Why can more flour be used in the filling? Cottage cheese can have different moisture levels. If it is more watery, the filling will be softer, and the three tablespoons of flour can help achieve a more consistent composition. This quantity was used in the original recipe. When is the glaze added? The glaze is added only after the pie has cooled. If the dessert is still hot, the glaze may become too fluid, and the pie may break more easily during handling. Can I omit the raisins? The source recipe includes them, but if you do not prefer them, they can be omitted. In this case, the filling remains based on cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and flour. Nutritional values The values below are estimates and depend on the type of cottage cheese, the use of butter or margarine, and the number of slices. The calculation is indicative for a slice from a pie cut into 10 portions, including the glaze. Calories: approximately 340–380 kcal Proteins: approximately 11–14 g Carbohydrates: approximately 40–45 g Fats: approximately 15–19 g The fat content can vary quite a bit depending on the cheese used and the choice between butter and margarine. The raisins, sugar in the dough, filling, and glaze mainly contribute to the carbohydrate content. Storage and reheating After cooling, the pie is stored covered in the refrigerator, as the filling contains cheese and eggs. For serving, it can be left out for a while at room temperature so it is not too cold. The pie does not need to be reheated and is best served cold or slightly tempered. It is not recommended to heat the entire pie, as the glaze may soften, and the cheese layer may change texture.

Polish Easter cake

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