When I think of special occasions and what that looked like growing up, I always remember the cakes being the best part. Everyone eagerly awaited to see “The Cake”. Tall, short, fancy, or very simple, someone was always either bringing a cake to an event or there were so many cakes it was hard to choose which one to taste. At one very large party, I remember a whole room in the host’s house being dedicated to just the cakes that were brought as gifts. Tables full of cakes, of all kinds, in all colors, the room kept cool to preserve them all. The smell of vanilla and chocolate hung in the air. While all those cakes were familiar, one that I don’t see very often (mostly because it’s deemed “too simple”) is the old-fashioned Sladoled Torta. Unless someone from the older generation is making it, in which case it makes an appearance from time to time.
The name is deceptive. There is no ice cream in this cake. Made with a small variety of ingredients, it doesn’t require any complicated, hard-to-find items. Sure, 20 eggs total go into making this cake, but everything is from scratch. From the filling to the cake layers, everything is fresh, creamy, and delicious. When ice cream was first invented, it was only offered in one flavor: vanilla. And in my experience, my great grandparents and grandparents even to this day always go for vanilla ice cream over any other flavor. It’s just a classic. So while this cake has no actual ice cream in it, it’s very reminiscent of vanilla ice cream. Each cake sponge cake layer is soaked in vanilla milk, complimenting the slightly sweet and creamy filling. Egg whites are used for the cake layers while the yolks are reserved for the filling. The egg yolks also give the filling a beautiful bright color.
One important step in the assembly process is the soaking of the cake layers in milk. Soaking them for a couple of minutes at a time is a must to ensure they soak up the milk very well. A quicker way to do this is to pour an adequate amount of milk into a plate with higher sides and then let the cake layers soak slowly. They should be completely saturated. It makes all the difference with this cake.
While this cake may only have 1 filling and be simple in appearance, it’s quite a special cake. Older recipes are usually no frills and simple, which makes them that much more charming in my opinion. These recipes always take me back to a simpler time. I hope you give this beautiful cake a try very soon. It’s perfect for any time of year, but especially the spring with its beautiful bright color, perfect for colorful decorations.
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Starinska Sladoled Torta / Old-Fashioned “Ice Cream” Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: Balkan, Serbian12
servings1
hour30
minutes1
hour30
minutesAn old-fashioned Balkan cake recipe for a creamy vanilla cake reminiscent of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- Sponge Cake Layers
These are measurements for 1 layer (repeat 4 more times to get 5 layers) 4 egg whites
4 tablespoons (48 g) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (30 g) flour
- Filling
20 egg yolks
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar (3 kesice)
1/2 cup (120 g) granulated sugar
3 sticks (330 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup (35 g) powdered sugar
1 cup (100 g) slag krem powder / whipped cream powder
- Also
2.5 cups (600 ml) milk
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
- Optional
Whipped cream for decoration
Directions
- Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line a 12-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the 4 egg whites and begin beating with a hand or stand mixer. Once the egg whites become foamy, add in the sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Turn off the mixer and add in the flour. Using a spatula fold in the flour completely being careful not to deflate the egg white too much.
- Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined pan and smooth across the top to achieve an even surface. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the edges just begin to turn light brown and the sponge is set. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a flat surface to cool. Repeat 4 more times.
- Filling
- To a heat-proof bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Whisk briefly to combine. Using the double boiler method (bowl over a smaller pot of boiling water) cook the egg yolks on medium-low heat, whisking continuously for about 25-30 minutes. The egg yolks will become thick and pale in color. Before concluding the cooking, test the egg yolk mixture between your fingers to check if all of the granulated sugar is dissolved. If the liquid feels grainy, continue cooking until the sugar dissolves on low heat.
- Remove the egg yolk mixture from the pot and allow to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until cool completely.
- Once the egg yolk mixture is cool, in a separate bowl cream the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth using a hand/stand mixer. Stir the egg yolk mixture well and then add it to the butter. Whip everything together to combine and lastly add the slag krem/whipped cream powder to the mixture. Whisk for 1 minute to fully combine all the ingredients.
- Cover the filling and refrigerate while preparing the cake layers.
- On a large plate, pour 1/2 cup of cold milk and add a sprinkle of vanilla sugar (divide 1 bag of vanilla sugar between the 5 layers). Unpeel the cake layer from the parchment paper gently and place it on the plate to soak up the milk, turning the sponge cake occasionally.
- Once the milk is mostly soaked up, lift up the sponge layer and allow any excess milk to drip back onto the plate. Then return it to the parchment paper. Repeat with the other 4 layers.
- Assembly
- After soaking all of the sponge cake layers, it’s time to assemble the cake. Remove the filling from the refrigerator and stir. Next, place one cake layer onto your cake stand or serving plate. Place 1/5 of the cake filling mixture on top, smooth evenly, and top with the next cake layer. Repeat this process until all ingredients are used up.
- Once assembled, spread the last portion of the filling across the top and even out the sides. Serve as is, or cover with whipped cream if desired. I like to cover the sides with whipped cream.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Whipped cream powder can be found online and is a staple in Balkan desserts. I don’t recommend substituting fresh heavy cream as it is too moist for this filling. The purpose of adding it to the recipe is to firm up the filling.
- Expedite the soaking process by using 5 plates at once. Plates with sides work best so the milk doesn’t spill out.
