Today's article is for those with a sweet tooth. And we will talk about our favorite delicacy since childhood. Our mothers and grandmothers baked it. Then, in the era of Soviet shortages, even a simple can of condensed milk was not so easy to buy. However, my mother turned out Prague cake at home no worse than from a pastry shop. Lush, tender, with a thick layer of chocolate and apricot jam. It was always baked for my birthday.
I was very surprised when I found out that the name of the cake in no way relates to the capital of the Czech Republic. It turns out that the cake owes this name to the restaurant where pastry chef V.M. worked. Guralnik. He came up with the entire technology for this dessert. According to his original recipe, GOST standards for the “Prague” cake were subsequently issued. If anyone is interested, read it on Wikipedia.
Due to the secrecy of this recipe, housewives have learned to bake this sweet chocolate dessert in a variety of ways. Biscuits were made with butter and sour cream, with cocoa and grated chocolate. And all options still have the right to exist.
Today I'm cooking from my mother's cookbook. She has written down several ways to prepare a cake for both children and adults. They are all of varying complexity, but each is delicious in its own way. I hope they will be useful to someone. The main thing is to maintain the proportions of the components and do not go online while the biscuit is in the oven. And everything will work out!
It is not at all necessary for us, in our kitchen, to cook according to the classic recipe. After all, everyone has different tastes and every housewife uses the ingredients that her family loves. Some people use both butter and condensed milk, while others make a sponge cake with sour cream for less fat content.
I just don’t recommend replacing butter in the recipe with margarine.
If desired, pour a couple of tablespoons of rum or cognac into the cream. You can replace the apricot jam for coating the cakes with something else that your family likes better.
Prague cake at home according to my mother's recipe
A very appetizing and effective option with cognac impregnation and dark glaze for a festive table. It always seemed to me the most delicious, forbidden fruit. I generally love the darkest, darkest chocolate.
Naturally, such a cake should not be served for a children's party.
This version of Prague is more common than the GOST version. The biscuit is more soaked, soft and juicy. You need a lot of different products. Try to maintain proportions.
What you will need:
For the biscuit:
- Eggs - 3 pcs.
- Sugar - 1 cup (180 gr.)
- Condensed milk - 150 gr.
- Sour cream 20% - 1 cup (200 gr.)
- Flour - 1.5 cups (195 gr.)
- Cocoa - 3 tbsp. spoons
- Soda - 1 teaspoon + vinegar 9%
Preparation:
I took all the food out of the refrigerator in advance and they are waiting on the table. I will knead the dough in a mixer. You can beat everything with a whisk.
The ingredients for making the dough and cream should be at room temperature.
Beat three eggs with a mixer until foamy. And gradually, little by little, I add a glass of sugar. I continue to whisk.
When the sugar has completely dissolved and mixed with the eggs, add some sour cream. And I turn on the mixer again.
The sour cream for the cake should be at least 20% fat, preferably rustic.
Do the same in small portions, continuing to beat. The more intensively all the products are whipped, the fluffier and higher our finished biscuit will be.
I add half a jar of condensed milk to the dough. It should be whole, condensed milk, and not some kind of “dairy product”. I stir everything again for about a minute.
Now it's the turn of bulk products. Pour one and a half cups of flour and 3 tablespoons of cocoa into a strainer. My powder is pure, without additives.
If the cocoa powder has impurities, such as sugar, then add another spoon or two.
Using a spoon, carefully move the mixture in the strainer, sifting it into the dough.
I turn on the mixer at the lowest speed so that the bulk products do not scatter throughout the kitchen. I extinguished the soda with a tablespoon of 9% vinegar. And I pour the mixture into the dough when the flour is not yet completely mixed.
If there is no vinegar, take 7 tablespoons of water for 1 spoon of acetic acid and get 9% vinegar.
I stir for about another minute and remove the whisk. The dough is ready. It bubbles because slaked soda has begun to act there. At this time, it is advisable to turn on the oven at 180 degrees.
Prepare the baking dish. I have it round, detachable 22 cm in diameter. I cover the bottom with parchment. I don’t cover the edges, I just grease the bottom and sides with oil. I pour all the dough into it. It turned out just up to half the height of the form. Don't pour any higher as it will rise quite high.
Place the pan with the dough in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Do not open the oven under any circumstances while baking the biscuit.
I don’t take the cake out of the oven, I just turn it off and let it cool slightly along with the oven. Meanwhile, let’s make the cream and frosting for the cake.
