Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake, which I have also heard described as a cream filled pie (no!), gets its name from the street that housed the bakery that was the first to make the creamy chocolate treat in the early 1940s. The bakery was located on Warsaw’s East – West route, East – West in Polish being Wschod – Zachod. Other professional bakers began to make the eye-catching cake, and home bakers joined in too.
It’s two layers of a light chocolate sponge, soaked in syrup and filled with stabilized whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache. YUM! Some recipes will have you bake two thin cakes, some will have you bake one and split it. To a certain extent, it depends on the kind of pans you happen to have. I was afraid my 8 inch square would be too small, so I baked one thin layer in an 11 x 15 inch jelly roll (cookie sheet with raised edge) pan and cut the cake down the middle of the pan to get my two layers.
This is one of those many cakes, so popular in Poland that you’ll see cut with geometric precision. My knife work isn’t that precise. I figure that I can always trim the edges to get clean straight lines even if it’s not a perfect cube.
We served this cake for Father’s Day. I’m sure you’ll find an occasion that will be made even more festive by serving Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake, and while mine was very tasty, I know yours will be better. I say that with no false modesty. Your WZ cake will be better because you won’t forget the baking powder!
Smacznego!
Lois
Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake
Description
A Polish chocolate cake filled with cream and topped with ganache!
Ingredients
for the cake:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 8 eggs, seperated
- pinch salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
for the syrup:
- 1/4 cup cherry vodka (option, use 1/4 water if you don’t want alcohol
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
for the filling:
- 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1 quart heavy cream, less 2 tablespoon (reserve for ganache)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla or 2 tablespoons cheery vodka
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
for ganache:
- 1 cup of chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespooons butter
- cherries for garnish
Instructions
for the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350
- Sift the flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, and baking powder
- Seperate the eggs (be sure that none of the yolk gets in with the whites, the fat will keep them from whipping up), beat the whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form
- Cream yolks with sugar for several minutes, until light and fluffy, stir flour mixture into the yolks
- Fold in the egg whites, in four small batches
- Grease pan (11 x 15) and line with parchment paper, spread batter into pan and bake for 15 minutes or until it springs back when touched lightly in the center, cook, cut into two layers, 7.5 x 11 inches each
for other components and assembly:
- place one cake layer on serving platter bottom side up or in parchment lined pan (let the parchment hang over the edge so you can use it to lift the cake out of the pan)
- Combine the cherry vodka, hot water, cocoa , and powdered sugar, spoon over the bottom layer of cake
- Sprinkle gelatin over 5 tablespoons water, heat just until it dissolves, and cool to room temp
- Whip cream with vanilla (or cherry vodka) and powdered sugar until soft peaks form, add gelatin, whip until stiff peaks form
- Reserve enough whipped cream to decorate the top, spread the remainder over the bottom layer, top with second cake layer, place it bottom side up, and spoon syrup over the top layer (you may not use all the syrup, but don’t miss any spots)
- Place chocolate chips, cream, and butter in a bowl, microwave for 45 seconds, stir until dissolved, heating for a few more seconds if necessary, stir until smooth and shinny, spread over top layer and refrigetate
- Before serving, cut into squares and top with a piped star or dollop of whipped cream and a cherry
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Elizabeth Beaudoin
Hi Lois
Seems like it would serve quite a few people. Any idea as to the servings? Seems like an easy recipe but delicious….chocolate, whipped cream, can’t get any better than that.
★★★★★
polishhousewife
I think I cut this into 12 pieces, but you could get easily serve more.
Laurel
I wonder if two 8×8 pans would work. I wonder if I could sub Kahlua for the cherry vodka. This might take me all day to make but it sure looks like it would be worth it!
polishhousewife
Your cake would be a little thicker than mine, of course when you add baking powder, your cake will be higher anyway. Or maybe a 9 x 13 but split it?
David
What a beautiful cake! It does seem time-consuming but it would be a showstopper for a special event. Thanks, Lois!
polishhousewife
Thanks, David. After baking my way through Rose Levy Beranbaum’s cake cookbook, I idea of time-consuming has been skewed!
tralf
I was fortunate enough to have this cake on Father’s Day. It’s both elegant and delicious. A great combination of flavors.
★★★★★
polishhousewife
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Linda Lankowski
With 8 eggs, you shouldn’t need any baking powder!
★★★★
polishhousewife
LOL!
Teresa
Just tried baking this cake today, and it’s amazing! Well worth the effort. I spread the batter onto two 11×15 jelly roll sheets and cut the cakes in half to make four layers. Looks and tastes wonderful! I don’t use Instagram or I would post a photo.
★★★★★
Melissa
How long will this cake hold up in the refrigerator?
Lois Britton
I would say probably 3 days. I like to share cakes with friends and family, so I don’t usually have them that long.