Meter Cake
Christmas Cake #1
Just try one bite of this
cream-and-chocolate-layered beauty
and you’ll see why it is my favorite Slovak Christmas cake.
Metrový koláč
On the twenty-fourth of December (the traditional day of Christmas celebration in Slovakia), after a prolonged feast of honey wafers, poppyseed buns, sauerkraut soup, baked carp and potato salad, it’s time for even more—yes, more—to eat. After this holiday meal, mother-in-law presents the Holy Trinity of Slovak Christmas cakes : Metrový koláč (‘meter cake’, named for its size before being sliced), Opitý Izidor (‘Drunken Issac cake’, made with a generous serving of rum) and Banánová roláda (‘Banana Swiss roll’, whose flavor-perfection speaks for itself). Let’s begin with my personal favorite: the striped chocolate-vanilla-and-cream Meter cake. Oh, and did I mention it’s served with whipped cream on top? ‘Tis the season!
Storing & saving
Store in the refrigerator, and eat with in 3-4 days.
Yields
1 meter of cake!
Baking notes
You will need special pans called Rehrucken Loaf Pans for this recipe (see photo below).
My Slovak recipe provides ingredients in grams. For best results, I have not converted them. If you do have access to a food scale, give it a try here!
Ingredients
Sponge Cesto
6 egg yolks 6 žľtkov
260 g powdered sugar 260 g práškového cukru
80 ml water, lukewarm 80 ml vlažnej vody
100 ml vegetable oil 100 ml slnečnicového olej
1 packet of yeast 1 prášok do pečiva
260 g all-purpose flour 260 g múky
30 g cocoa powder 30 g kakaa
Merengue (sponge) Sneh pre cesta
6 egg whites 6 bielkov
Pinch of salt Štipka soli
Pudding Puding
300 ml milk 300 ml mlieka
40 g Zlaty Klas pudding mix 40 g Zlatého klasu
40 g all-purpose flour 40 g múky
200 ml cream or eggnog 200 ml mlieka
Pudding cream Krém na puding
200 g butter 250 g masla
150 g powdered sugar 150 g praškového cukru
40 ml cream or eggnog 40 ml krému alebo vaječného likéru
Chocolate sauce Čokoládova poleva
200 g dark baking chocolate bar (74%) 200 g horkej čokolády (74%)
200 ml cream or egg nog 200 ml sladkej smotany alebo vaječného likéru
60 g butter 60 g masla
Whipped cream for serving šľahačka
Preheat your oven to 340ºF/170ºC.
To make the sponge, put egg yolks and powdered sugar in large bowl and combine with mixer.
Add water and oil and mix.
Finally, add packet of yeast and flour.
Next, make the merengue. In a second bowl, combine egg whites and pinch of salt and whisk to form stiff peaks.
Very gently mix the merengue into batter in the first bowl.
Babka says: a metal spoon is best for this, as wood or silicone will knock more air out of the whipped egg whites.
You will need special baking pans (see photo below).
Prepare the baking pans by coating with butter and flour, then pour half of your batter into one pan. Leave ⅛” at top of pan for sponge batter to rise.
Mix cocoa powder into remaining batter, then fill the second pan.
Bake at 340ºF for 30 minutes. When done, leave in pan to cool.
Meanwhile, make the pudding. Heat 300 ml milk over a low heat on the stovetop.
Babka says: be sure to stir continuously so as not to scald the milk.
In a bowl, whisk Zlatý klas pudding mix and flour to combine. Next, add 200 ml cream or egg nog. Continue whisking until smooth.
Pour into heated milk, stirring continuously. Cook to thicken.
When pudding is a thick consistency, pour into a bowl and cover with saran-wrap, pressing down on top of the pudding so that no skin forms. Leave to cool in refrigerator.
Once the pudding has cooled, you will make the pudding cream. Combine butter and powdered sugar with a mixer. Slowly pour in the milk, continuing to mix until smooth.
Next, bring your pudding from the refrigerator. Add it to the pudding in spoonfuls with the mixer still going.
Once completely combined, put the pudding cream into a piping bag or large plastic bag and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Slice the tops of the cakes so that they are flat, then tip out of the forms.
Slice the cakes along the marked lines from the form.
To assemble the cake, pipe pudding cream onto the face of a slice of cake, then press another piece of cake to it. Alternate chocolate and vanilla cake slices until a row of cakes has formed a log.
Pipe pudding cream on top and ends as well, then smooth with an icing knife.
Leave to cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate sauce.
To make the chocolate sauce, put the milk and butter in a double-boiler and heat slowly, stirring to combine.
Once the butter has melted and combined with the milk, add in small pieces of chocolate, a bit at a time.
Continue stirring (being careful not to overheat) until creamy and smooth.
While the sauce is still warm, pour over the cake. Use an icing knife to clean up the edges.
Cut the cake slices at an angle to reveal both chocolate and vanilla cake in one slice.
Keep cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve topped with whipped cream.
Baking equipment
needed:
To bake this cake, you will want to use a Rehrucken Loaf Pan, which is a long, narrow loaf pan with individual ridges that create a pattern on the sponge for easy, even slicing.
