AI-generated image
Kyiv cake
Kyivskyi tort: hazelnut meringue layers with buttercream
Kyiv cake was created in 1956 at the Karl Marx confectionery factory in Kyiv, and for decades a round box tied with string, bought at the station kiosk, was the souvenir every visitor carried home from the capital. Two crisp, chewy layers of nut meringue are sandwiched with a rich vanilla and cocoa buttercream and decorated with more cream. It contains no flour, so it is naturally gluten free, and no gelatine. Our home version uses hazelnuts, as the original did before cashews became the norm. Chef's tip: dry the meringue long and slow and let it cool in the switched-off oven; common mistake is pulling it out too early, when it is still soft inside, and then it turns sticky and collapses under the cream.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the meringue layers
For the buttercream
To decorate
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Toast 5 ½ oz hazelnuts on a tray for 8–10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Cool, then grind to a coarse crumb with a few small pieces left.
10 minStep 2: Turn the oven down to 275°F (225°F fan). Draw two 22 cm circles on two sheets of baking paper and turn them over onto baking trays.
Step 3: Whisk 5 egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl on medium speed until foamy, then add 9 oz caster sugar a spoonful at a time on high speed. Keep whisking 6–8 minutes until the meringue is thick, glossy and stands in stiff peaks, and the sugar no longer feels gritty between your fingers.
10 minStep 4: Fold in the ground nuts, 1 tbsp cornflour and 1 tsp vanilla extract gently with a large spoon, in three additions, keeping as much air as you can.
Step 5: Spread the meringue evenly within the two circles, about 1.5 cm thick. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until the layers are pale beige, dry and lift easily off the paper. Turn off the oven and leave them inside with the door ajar until completely cold.
120 minStep 6: For the cream, whisk 2 egg yolks, ½ cup whole milk and 5 ½ oz sugar in a small pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 6–8 minutes, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil or the yolks will scramble. Cool completely.
8 minStep 7: Beat 9 oz unsalted butter for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy, then add the cold custard a spoonful at a time, beating well, until smooth. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp brandy. Take out 4 tablespoons of cream and mix it with 1 tbsp cocoa powder for decorating.
8 minStep 8: Trim the meringue layers level if needed. Place one on a plate, spread with about half the plain cream, top with the second layer and cover the top and sides thinly with the rest.
Step 9: Pipe the cocoa cream in swirls on top and press 1 oz hazelnuts around the sides. Chill for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, so the meringue softens slightly into the cream. Cut with a sharp, hot knife.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kyiv cake take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Ma'amoul
Ma'amoul are delicate shortbread-like pastries made for Eid and Easter across the Middle East. A soft, rose-scented butter dough is wrapped around a filling of dates, walnuts, almonds and pistachios cooked with cinnamon, marked with a fork, baked pale and dusted with icing sugar. Makes 35; they keep well in a tin.
Banana and cashew slice
A soft, moist low-calorie slice made without flour, eggs or refined sugar: ripe bananas are blended with sunflower oil, vanilla and cardamom, then cashews, desiccated coconut, oats and grated apple. Baked and cut into wedges, it is naturally sweet and good with tea or in a lunch box.
Moist banana bread
The blacker the bananas, the better the loaf. This one is mixed in a single bowl with melted butter and a little brown sugar, so it's soft, deeply banana-y and keeps well for days.