When I was thinking about what to make for Easter a couple of weeks ago I knew I wanted something light, fruity, and not too sweet. The weather was getting nicer (or so I thought – we got snow a few days later) so I was in the mood for something colorful. Although the name “Ledeni Vetar” or “Frozen Wind” doesn’t sound very spring-like, it definitely describes the weather we’ve had this spring pretty accurately. But it is so delicious you’ll want to make it year-round!
Ledeni Vetar Torta is a classic. Merengue cake layers sandwiched between a vanilla custard and whipped cream, with a tangy, fresh fruit twist is why this quickly became a staple in my family. Does it take time to make if you’re only working with 1 baking pan?
Yes. I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t.
But if you have 2 of the same size you cut your baking time in half! The rest is so easy to put together, it really can’t get any simpler.
There is one thing I plan to do differently going forward though and that’s to use Balkan-style whipped cream (you know, the powdered one -Slag Krem) next time. The fresh heavy whipping cream without a stabilizer added tends to get a little loose when combined with the fruit. I didn’t add a stabilizer this time and I regretted it as soon as I started cutting the cake.
Because this recipe calls for bananas, I wanted to give you a quick tip on how to prevent them from turning brown right away.
Pro Tip: Once you’ve laid down your banana slices, brush the tops with a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice. You won’t taste it in the dessert but the lemon juice will prevent the bananas from turning brown right away. I’ve found that this process extends the life of the bananas considerably.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we did. If you have any questions about the process feel free to direct them my way over on Instagram. And while you’re there make sure to follow me. I have recently started posting reels showing the process of some of my recipes!
Ledeni Vetar Torta/”Frozen Wind” Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: Balkan, Serbian10
servings1
hour2
hoursIngredients
- Cake Layer (x4)
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon (15 ml) white vinegar
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 g) sugar
- Yellow Filling
12 egg yolks (left over from the cake layers)
1/2 cup (120 g) sugar
1 teaspoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (80 g) flour
2 1/4 cups (550 ml) whole milk
2.5 sticks (250 g) unsalted butter
- Whipped Cream Filling
1 -2 tablespoons (10-20 g) powdered sugar
2 packets Balkan-style whipped cream (Slag Krem), prepared
or
4 cups (500 ml) whipped cream- Also
2 bananas, sliced
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2-3 fresh kiwi, sliced
Whipped cream for decoration
Directions
- Cake Layers
- Preheat your oven to 300F/150 C and line a medium round baking pan with parchment paper. This works best if you have 2 pans of the same size. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl add the egg whites and begin to whisk using a hand or stand mixer. Once foamy, slowly begin adding in the sugar a little at a time. Continue whisking until the egg whites reach a stiff peak and the sugar has dissolved. Add in the vinegar and whisk briefly to ensure it is completely combined.
- Transfer the egg whites to your prepared baking pan and smooth out into an even layer. Bake at 300 for 1 hour, it will be light golden brown.
- Repeat until you bake all 4 cake layers or bake 2 at a time if you have multiple pans. Super bonus points if you can bake them all at once!
- Yellow Filling
- Pour 3/4 of the milk into a pot reserving 1/4 of it. To the pot add the sugar and vanilla extract and bring to a boil on medium heat.
- To the reserved milk add the egg yolks, flour, and vanilla sugar. Whisk well to combine everything and once the milk comes to a boil slowly pour this mixture in.
- Turn the heat to low and continuously whisk until you end up with a thick pudding mixture.
- Turn off the heat, cover the custard with a piece of plastic wrap, and allow to cool completely. Be careful not burn yourself. The plastic wrap should be touching the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Once the custard has cooled, to a large bowl add the butter and whip briefly until soft and fluffy. Add in the custard a little at a time and continue whisking with a hand or stand mixer until it’s all combined well. Set aside.
- To another large bowl add in your whipped cream of choice and the sugar and prepare as usual. Set aside.
- Assembly
- Place 1 cake layer on your serving dish or cake stand. Spread 1/4 of the yellow filling, then 1/4 of the whipped cream, and then a layer of fruit. Use whatever fruit you’d like first, I like to use strawberries first.
- Next, place the 2nd layer on top carefully. Then yellow filling, whipped cream, and the next layer of fruit. Then cake layer again, yellow filling, whipped cream, the 3rd fruit, and then the last cake layer on top. Spread any remaining yellow filling on top of the cake and along the sides. Do the same with any remaining whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until set then decorate with whipped cream and whatever else you’d like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For an extra defined slice, use a packet of Whip It (Dr. Oetker brand) whipped cream stabilizer for a firmer whipped cream layer.
