Hungarian Gala Palacsinta Cake Recipes

HUNGARIAN GALA PALACSINTA CAKE

Steps:

• FOR THE BATTER: Mix the flour and salt and one tablespoon sugar together in a big bowl.
• Work in the eggs, one at a time, then very gradually add the milk, beating well as you go along.
• Beat in the melted butter and strain the batter to remove any large lumps.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Just before using, shake or stir the batter and pour in as much soda water as needed to make a thin batter, the consistency of light cream.
• Make each palacsinta separately: heat a 6 1/2 inch crepe pan or a small frying pan with sloping sides until very hot, then brush with cooking oil.
• When it starts to smoke, remove from the heat and pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan (work with a ladle the right size, if possible).
• Quickly turn the pan around so the batter flows to the sides, thinly coating the entire bottom.
• A palacsinta is supposed to be very thin, as thin as it can be without getting lacy.
• Pour any excess batter back into the bowl.
• Put the pan back on the heat for about a minute, then give it a couple of good jerks to loosen the palacsinta, then flip it if you can or turn it over by hand, using a spatula to lift it up out of the pan first.
• Cook briefly on the second side and slide it into a warm dish or pie plate.
• Continue making palacsinta until you have at least three per person.
• Keep the palacsinta warm on the back of the stove or in the warming oven, or make them several hours in advance and warm them up later.
• The palacsinta batter may also be made in a blender: put the milk, eggs, salt, flour and melted butter in the jar, in that order.
• Blend at top speed for about 1 minute, then scrape down the sides of the jar and blend another few seconds.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight; just before making the palacsinta, shake or stir the batter and ADD the SODA water.
• Make the palacsinta and set them aside while preparing the fillings in separate dishes.
• Filling 1: Mix the grated chocolate with the chopped walnuts and confectioners’ sugar.
• Set it aside.
• Filling 2: Thin the jam with brandy or water, and mash up any large pieces of fruit.
• Put that to one side.
• Filling 3: Strain the pot cheese and force it through a potato ricer.
• Mix it well with the egg yolk, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon rind, and stir in the raisins.
• Beat the egg white until stiff, then fold it into the pot cheese mixture.
• To form the rakott palacsinta, lightly butter an 8-inch springform pan and place a palacsinta on the bottom.
• Spread it with some nut and chocolate filling (number 1), and cover with a second palacsinta.
• Spread that with a thin layer of apricot jam (number 2), and cover it with another palacsinta.
• Spread it with the pot cheese filling (number 3), and cover with a fourth palacsinta.
• REPEAT and continue the layering process until you reach the top of the pan; end with a palacsinta.
• Three quarters of an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 300 F.
• and beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff and shiny.
• Pile the meringue on the top palacsinta and place the pan in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or more, or until the meringue is lightly browned (“pink”).
• Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the rakott palacsinta to a platter.
• Serve hot, cut in wedges like a cake.
• The Hungarian Cookbook.
• Susan Derecskey.