In my opinion, there’s no better way to make a statement than serving a beautiful dessert. In the Balkans, cakes or torte are common at all special occasions not just birthdays. They are prepared when expecting special guests and as gifts too!

Cakes in the Balkans are a little different than those in the US. In the US, cakes have thicker layers and often a buttercream type frosting. Cakes in the Balkans are what would be considered a torte in the US, comprising of many thinner layers, covered with whipped cream, and filled with multiple fillings.

Every time I make this strawberry cream cake, I get compliments. I promise I’m not trying to brag, but honestly, everyone loves this cake, even people like me who don’t particularly like sweets. One thing to note so you’re not surprised is that the sponge is denser than your traditional cake. It has a pound cake texture and feel.

This time, I wanted to make a long, narrow cake instead of round. So, I used a 17 in x 11 in jelly roll pan (43 cm x 27 cm) and baked one big sheet of cake. Then I cut it into 3 equal pieces on the short side and cut each piece in half horizontally using a sharp knife to make the layers of cake thinner. You don’t have to do this though, you can totally bake the layers separately.

The filling, I swear, you can eat with a spoon it’s so good. If you’re lucky and can get some sweet strawberries, you can leave out some of the sugar. I always recommend using fresh strawberries for this cake, but if you don’t have any available, you can also use strawberry preserves instead, and adjust the sugar.

And last but not least, frosting the cake. What could be more perfect to top off this cake than whipped cream? For most of my cakes, I like to use the whipped cream powder (slag krem) that is prevalent in the Balkans. You can get it from your Eastern European section at the grocery store. I find that it’s more firm and holds better than traditional heavy whipping cream. You can find it here for sale as well as more information.

Strawberry Cream Cake/Krem Torta Sa Jagodama

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: DessertCuisine: Serbian, Balkan

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups (384 g) flour
3 sticks (340 g) butter, room temperature
3 tsp (15 g) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup (250 ml) milk
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
Strawberry Cream Filling
1 half pint (236 ml) heavy whipping cream, whipped
3 blocks (681 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (52 g) granulated sugar
1 packet (10 g) vanilla sugar (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 cups (200 g) fresh strawberries, diced
Frosting/Topping
1 slag krem/whipped cream powder prepared according to instructions or whipped cream about 2 cups.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F (200 C). Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper, or if using round pans prepare those the same way. You should be able to get 4-5 8in cake pans from this amount of batter.
Make the cake sponge. In the bowl of a stand or hand mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes on high). Add in 1 egg at a time, beating well between each addition.
Once all eggs are incorporated, add in the flour, baking powder, and milk, 1/3 at a time, and mix well. Add in the vanilla extract, mix.
Transfer batter to lined baking sheet or round pans. Spread the batter evenly with a spatula and bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake rest in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cake Filling
Whip heavy cream, side aside.
Using a stand/hand mixer, cream together cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and vanilla sugar. Mix well.
Fold in the whipped cream and diced strawberries into the cream cheese mixture.
Assembly
If making a long cake (as pictured), cut the cake sheet into 3 equal pieces on the short side. If you would like thinner layers, use a knife to slice each piece horizontally through the cake or use a piece of string.
Alternate cake layers and filling layers until you reach your desired height. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the strawberry cream mixture.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Whip heavy whipping cream or the frosting of your choice, remove the cake from refrigerator and frost/decorate the cake as you wish.

Notes

Save the best looking strawberries to decorate the top with when dicing your strawberries.
When cooling your cake on the cooling rack, rest the cooling rack on a few soda cans so enough air can pass under the rack. This helps speed up the cooling time.

I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, use the hashtag #thebalkanhostess so I can see your creation!