If you ever walk by a patisserie shop anywhere in the Balkans, you will see display cases full of traditional sweets. Among all the delicious treats, you are sure to find Krempita and Šampita. Tall, very large slices of Krempita are a must when you’re craving something sweet after a casual walk with friends in the city. Soft, cloud-like, and delicious, these creamy squares of heaven are one of my most favorite desserts. I remember going back home on summer breaks and walking by an old-school patisserie shop called Pelivan in Jagodina, Serbia. They are known for their ice cream and very tall, and I mean TALL slices of Krempita and Šampita. Mine will of course never be as delicious as theirs but every time I taste this dessert I’m taken back in time.
There are multiple ways to make Krempita. Some recipes involve puff pastry both on the top and the bottom, with the jiggly, soft, vanilla filling sandwiched in the middle. My “kućna varijanta“, or home version of this recipe consists of a soft vanilla sponge cake layer topped with the vanilla custard filling and a crown of whipped cream on top. While not 100% authentic without the puff pastry layer, I much prefer the soft sponge cake and whipped cream in this case. In some areas of the Balkans, the puff pastry is not traditional, so depending on where you’re enjoying a slice (or two) of this treat, it may look slightly different.
When I inherited this recipe from my aunt, I was a little intimidated in all honesty. It went against everything I’ve ever learned when it comes to handling egg whites. You see, in this recipe, you need to fold in the bubbling hot pudding into the whipped egg whites. Yes, you read that right. Ever since I’ve started baking, I’ve always been taught to handle egg whites with care, or else they would completely collapse. And here I was pouring hot pudding into them. And let me tell you…. magic truly happens!
I will admit, I did have to call the “tetka hotline”…not once but twice… to confirm that I was really and truly supposed to pour burning hot pudding into my egg whites. With a few chuckles and some reassurance I hesitantly did as I was told. The end result was a smooth, cloud-like, fragrant, and light dessert that I know you will love as much as my family does. I’m so happy I rediscovered this old recipe.
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Krempita/ Balkan Cream Squares
Course: DessertCuisine: Balkan12
servings30
minutes25
minutes1
hourA traditional favorite all across the Balkans!
Ingredients
- Cake Layer
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup (90 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
3/4 cup (150 ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) oil
1 cup (110 -120 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (1/2 kesice)
- Vanilla Cream Filling
7 egg whites
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1.5 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
4 packets vanilla pudding (European style pudding packets)
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
- Also
Whipped cream for decorating, optional
Directions
- Cake Layer
- Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with tall sides all over with baking spray. If you don’t have baking spray grease the pan with oil lightly and then dust with flour all over.
For super tall slices, use a smaller baking pan, just make sure it has tall sides. - In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla sugar and whip with a stand or hand mixer until the egg yolks become thick and light in color.
- Once the egg yolks have thickened, with the mixer off add in the remaining cake ingredients. Fold in the flour a little bit with the mixer off so that the flour does not fly everywhere once the mixer is turned on again. Mix for 10 seconds or so on medium speed to incorporate all the ingredients and ensure there are no lumps.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking dish and smooth the surface to ensure it’s even. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool while you make the filling.
- Vanilla Cream Filling
- Combine the milk and water and then pour 3/4 of the liquid into a pot. Combine the sugar and vanilla sugar and then add in 3/4 of it to the milk. Begin to cook on medium heat until it reaches a boil. Reserve the other 1/4 of sugar and 1/4 of the liquid.
- At this time, begin to whisk the egg whites. I like to use a stand mixer for this because it allows me to keep an eye on the milk and make the pudding while the egg whites are being mixed. This way, the pudding and the egg whites are done at the same time.
When the egg whites have started to foam up, add in reserved sugar, a little at a time until you’ve incorporated all of it into the egg whites. Once the egg whites have become voluminous and stiff peaks form, turn off the mixer. - To the 1/4th cup of reserved liquid add in the pudding packets and the vanilla extract. Stir until all the pudding powder has dissolved.
- When the milk reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the pudding and milk mixture, stirring the entire time using a whisk. Continue to continuously whisk the mixture until the pudding thickens and has cooked completely, usually 3-4 minutes. You’ll know the pudding is done when all of the milk foam has disappeared from the top and the mixture is very thick. Remove from heat.
- Turn on the stand mixer once again to medium speed and begin to add the hot pudding to the egg whites a little at a time, until it is completely incorporated. Once everything is combined, turn up the speed of the mixer slightly and whip for another minute until the mixture has turned one color and there are no streaks of either yellow or white throughout. The mixture should be slightly warm and very fluffy at this stage.
- Pour the pudding and egg white mixture into the baking pan on top of your sponge cake layer. Use an offset spatula to create an even surface. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until completely chilled.
- Once chilled, remove from the refrigerator, top with whipped cream to your liking, slice into generous pieces, and serve cold. Keep all leftovers in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
