Ukrainian Prune Torte Recipes

UKRAINIAN GREAT GRANDMA'S PRUNE TORTE

Steps:

• Use vegetable spray to butter 5 round layer cake pans (8-inch pans) and dust with flour, remove excess.
• Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the extract, salt, and almonds. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Roll each of them between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper to fit the pan, or pat the dough evenly into the pans gently. Bake in a moderate oven 325 to 350°F for 20 minutes, or until delicately browned. Reduce temperature if it starts to get too brown. Remove from the pans while still hot. Cool. Prepare the filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: Cook the prunes in water just to cover until they plump up. Take prunes out of the liquid, pit them and grind them.
• Bring to the boiling point the ground prunes with the 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and prune liquid. Put the layers together with the warm filling. Let the torte stand for about a day (24 hours) before cutting it. Serve in slices.

ORIGINAL PLUM TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
• Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
• Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

UKRAINIAN KYIVSKY TORTE

Steps:

• Beat the 12 egg Yolks until light and beat in the sugar gradually (a tablespoon at a time).
• Beat until lemon colored, light and fluffy.
• Fold in the bread crumbs and the nuts.
• Beat the 12 egg whites until stiff.
• Lighten the nut mixture with a bit of the egg whites and then genly fold into the mixture the rest of the whites.
• Butter 2 deep layer pans 9 or 10 inch springform pans (shallow pans may cause the batter to run over in the oven) with soft butter and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs.
• Regular pans can be used, in this case use parchment paper for the bottom of pan and grease the paper also.
• Bake in a 325 F.
• oven for about 30--35 minutes.
• Test cake with a toothpick in the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done.
• Cool for 10 minutes and gently with a knife go around the cake to loosen and gently invert and place on a cake rack.
• Fill and frost the cake with the filling.
• If you wish more layers cut each cake in half and fill so that you will have 4 layers.
• FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FILLING AND ICING: Over simmering water in a double boiler add 1 cup HOT strong coffee and add the chocolate, mixing well to melt.
• In a separate bowl-- Beat the 5 egg yolks until light and set aside.
• Blend 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the flour in the remaining 1/2 cup COLD coffee and blend well until smooth and free of any lumps.
• Add the flour mixture to the whipped egg yolks and mix well.
• Add this mixture whisking quickly to the melted chocolate (in the double boiler) and cook until thickens stirring frequently for about 10 minutes.
• When mixture has thickened set it aside to COOL.
• Beat 1 cup unsalted butter with the 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy and gradually beat in the cold chocolate pudding mixture little at a time into the butter and beat until fluffy.

UKRAINIAN WALNUT-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• FOR THE WALNUT TORTE: Beat the egg yolks until light. Add the sugar gradually and beat until thick and fluffy. Stir in the nuts and bread crumbs.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture.
• Butter 2, (9 inch )deep layer pans (shallow pans may cause the batter to run over in the oven) with soft butter and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs.
• Spoon the batter into the pans. Bake 350 degrees F.,for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done when tested.
• Remove from the pans and place on a cake rack.
• FOR THE ALMOND LAYER: Beat the egg yolks until light. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating until thick and fluffy. Beat in the lemon rind and juice. Stir in the almonds and bread crumbs.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture. Spoon the batter into a deep, buttered layer cake pan sprinkled with bread crumbs.
• Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Remove from the pan and place on a cake rack. Prepare the following filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: BLEND the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar in a saucepan; cook this mixture OVER simmering water, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
• Remove it from the heat and cool.
• Cream the butter, add the remaining 1 cup of sugar gradually, and continue creaming until smooth.
• Blend in the yolk-sugar mixture, coffee, and vanilla. Beat thoroughly.
• Spread this filling between the 3 layers of the torte, on the sides, and over the top. Decorate with toasted, slivered almonds.