Maple Karpatka - Bake from Scratch

      Resembling the snow-covered summits of Poland’s Carpathian Mountains, the Polish cream cake known as karpatka features layers of light pastry encasing a creamy filling. In our maple-infused version, we filled airy choux pastry with a rich, buttery maple-flavored pastry cream, accentuating the deep notes of maple and dark brown sugar.

      Yields 12 servings

      ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (127 grams) unsalted butter*

      ½ cup (120 grams) water

      ½ cup (120 grams) whole milk

      2 teaspoons (8 grams) granulated sugar

      ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt

      1¼ cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour

      5 large eggs (250 grams), at room temperature

      1 large egg white (30 grams), at room temperature

      Maple Mousseline (recipe follows)

      Garnish: maple syrup

      Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly spray 2 (13x9-inch) baking pans with cooking spray. (See Note.) Line the pans with parchment paper, allowing the excess to hang over the edges. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add ½ cup (120 grams) water, milk, sugar, and salt; bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at low speed until the dough is just warm to the touch, around 1 minute. Add the eggs and egg white one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition. Divide the batter between the prepared pans (about 1½ cups or 362 grams each). Bake, one batch at a time, until fully puffed and a deep golden brown, roughly 20 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Spread Maple Mousseline evenly on one layer of pastry. Place the other layer on top and refrigerate until the mousseline is set, approximately 1 hour. Drizzle with maple syrup, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Best enjoyed on the same day.

      *We used Kerrygold.

      Note: If you have only one (13x9-inch) baking pan, spread half of the batter in your prepared pan and cover the remaining batter with plastic wrap while the first half bakes. Once the pan is completely cool, repeat the process with the remaining batter.

      Let us know how it turned out!

      Maple Mousseline

      Yields about 4 cups

      3 cups (720 grams) whole milk

      ½ cup (100 grams) maple sugar

      ½ teaspoon (2 grams) maple extract

      8 large egg yolks (149 grams)

      ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar

      ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (56 grams) cornstarch

      ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

      ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened

      2 cups (454 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (see Note)

      In a large saucepan, whisk together the milk, maple sugar, and maple extract. Heat over medium heat until steaming. (Do not boil.) In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually incorporate the warm milk mixture while whisking constantly. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, about 4 to 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the softened butter in two additions. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to avoid a skin forming. Chill until the temperature reaches 65°F (18°C) to 70°F (21°C), approximately 2½ to 3 hours. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk the pastry cream until smooth. (At this stage, both the room temperature butter and the pastry cream should be the same temperature.) With the mixer on low speed, gradually incorporate the pastry cream into the butter, mixing until combined after each addition (see Notes) and pausing to scrape the sides of the bowl. Use immediately.

      Notes: Unlike softened butter, room temperature butter should yield easily when pressed. At this stage, the butter is pliable enough to blend smoothly into your pastry cream. If your mousseline appears separated or curdled, wrapping your mixer bowl with warm towels can gently warm the butter and assist in emulsification.

      Let us know how it turned out!