Karpatka Recipe🍰 Polish Cream Puff Cake Karpatka is a traditional Polish dessert made of two layers of puffed choux pastry and a rich vanilla pastry cream in between. The uneven top resembles the rugged Carpathian Mountains INGREDIENTS Choux pastry: • 100 g milk (100 ml / ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) • 100 g water (100 ml / ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) • pinch of salt • 1 tsp sugar • 90 g unsalted butter (6 tbsp + 1 tsp) • 100 g flour (¾ cup) • 200 g eggs (approx. 4) (about 1 cup) Vanilla pastry cream: • 100 g egg yolks (about ½ cup) • 400 g milk (400 ml / 1⅔ cups) • 100 g heavy cream (30%) (100 ml / ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) • 75 g sugar (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) • 30 g vanilla extract (2 tbsp) • 40 g cornstarch (⅓ cup) • 30 g unsalted butter (2 tbsp) • zest of 1 lemon Blueberry confiture: • 200 g blueberries (1⅓ cups) • 75 g sugar (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) • 15 g cornstarch (1½ tbsp) For decoration: • fresh berries or powdered sugar INSTRUCTIONS Choux pastry: 1. In a saucepan, combine milk, water, salt, sugar, and butter. 2. Bring to a boil until the butter has fully melted. 3. Remove from heat and immediately add all the flour at once. 4. Stir vigorously with a wooden spatula until smooth. 5. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the dough forms a ball and a white film appears on the bottom. 6. Transfer to a bowl and mix to release steam and cool slightly. 7. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough is smooth and pipeable. 8. Divide the dough into two equal parts. 9. Spread each half into a 20 cm pan lined with parchment paper (bottom only). 10. Bake at 180°C (350°F), top-bottom mode, no fan, for about 30 minutes until golden and puffed. 11. Cool completely on a wire rack. Vanilla pastry cream: 1. In a saucepan, heat the milk, cream, and vanilla until just boiling. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch until pale and fluffy. 3. Temper with ⅓ of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. 4. Pour back into the saucepan. 5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thickened. 6. Add the butter, cook for another 20–30 seconds, then remove from heat. 7. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Cool quickly to 3°C (e.g., in the freezer for 30 min), then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 8. Before using, add lemon zest and beat for 4–5 minutes until creamy. Blueberry confiture: 1. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries and sugar. 2. Heat until the sugar dissolves and berries release juice. 3. Mix some of the juice with the cornstarch in a separate cup, then return it to the pot. 4. Bring to a boil and cook for 1–2 minutes until thickened. 5. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store in the fridge. Assembly: 1. Place the bottom layer of choux pastry into a cake ring (20 cm) lined with acetate or parchment. 2. Spread half of the cream. 3. Add the blueberry confiture. 4. Spread the remaining cream. 5. Cover with the second layer of pastry. 6. Cover with plastic wrap directly on top and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 7. Before serving, decorate with berries or dust with powdered sugar. #Recipe #karpatka #baking #chouxpastry #creamcake - @charmfulkitchen