Baking College In-Dpeth: Kyiv Cake

Kyiv (alternatively spelled Kiev, and pronounced “keev”) Cake, or Kyivski tort, is a real Ukrainian traditional, originating from its capital, Kyiv. This masterpiece is comprised of layers of crisp, ethereal hazelnut meringue and a silky-smooth chocolate buttercream. The cake is usually topped with chopped hazelnuts and left to relax earlier than serving so the buttercream develops a silky texture.

This cake was created in 1956 on the Karl Marx Confectionery Manufacturing unit in Kyiv. Initially, walnuts have been used, however after World Warfare II, when the USSR established ties with India, walnuts have been changed in favor of cashews. Quickly, nonetheless, cashews turned too costly, and so they have been changed with hazelnuts. The cake turned very fashionable throughout the Soviet Union, and right now, it’s nonetheless probably the most recognizable achievements of Soviet confectionery and has since turn into one of many symbols of Kyiv.

To obtain a PDF of the module, click on right here.

INGREDIENT BREAKDOWN

Glorious recipes require great substances. Right here’s how our recipes’ substances contribute to creating the perfect Kyiv Cake.

• EGGS: Eggs assist in leavening the cake, improve richness with their yolks, and add construction to the cake. When making the Hazelnut Meringue, be certain that there’s no presence of yolk in your egg whites and your bowl is pristinely clear, as fats inhibits
  the whites from reaching full quantity.
• GRANULATED SUGAR: Granulated sugar does greater than add sweetness to the cake and the Hazelnut Meringue. Sugar acts as a whipping assist when stabilizing the egg whites. Additionally, sugar has hygroscopic properties, that means it could possibly take up water from the encircling atmosphere. Due to this, the Kyiv Cake will retain moisture even after being baked and cooled, resulting in an extended shelf life.
• UNBLEACHED CAKE FLOUR: Cake flour makes a extra tender cake than all-purpose flour as a result of cake flour is constructed from delicate wheat. With a 5% to eight% protein content material, unbleached cake flour offers a great quantity of protein to present our Kyiv Cake the proper construction.
• CORNSTARCH: When utilized in cake batter, cornstarch reduces construction by serving to to melt the inflexible proteins of the flour, leading to a delicate, tender cake. Cornstarch additionally helps stabilize the Hazelnut Meringue by absorbing moisture. When cornstarch absorbs moisture, it retains the meringue from weeping, which is tremendous useful in case you dwell in high-humidity areas.
• BAKING POWDER: Most baking powders are double-acting, that means the response happens twice, utilizing two totally different acids. The primary is a fast response when baking powder is mixed with a liquid within the batter. The second response is slower, occurring when the cake bakes.
• VANILLA EXTRACT: Vanilla extract is a magical ingredient that provides prompt depth of taste and complexity to this cake.
• KOSHER SALT: Kosher salt has a pure, clear taste as a result of it doesn’t comprise iodine or minerals. It’s flaked somewhat than granulated, permitting for extra even distribution when whipped into the cake batter and the meringue.
• DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR: The acidity in white vinegar helps stabilize the egg whites when making the Hazelnut Meringue. Including acid helps whip up the egg whites faster, and it retains the meringue from collapsing as soon as it’s finished. You too can use lemon juice or cream of tarter because the acid when making meringue.
• HAZELNUTS: Hazelnuts complement the chocolate buttercream superbly and add an total crunch and nuttiness to the recipe.
• UNSALTED BUTTER: As a result of butter is important to the feel and richness of the cake and the chocolate buttercream, selecting a European-style butter with a better fats ratio than generic grocery retailer butter will yield the perfect outcomes. Salt content material can range throughout totally different butter manufacturers, so we use unsalted butter to regulate the precise quantity of salt within the recipe.
• UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER: Additionally known as pure cocoa powder, unsweetened cocoa powder is constructed from ground-roasted cocoa beans. It has a robust taste, and its naturally excessive acidity provides the cocoa a pointy, virtually citrusy taste, which is ideal in our chocolate buttercream.
• SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: The sweetened condensed milk not solely provides sweetness and a divine milky taste but additionally provides the chocolate buttercream an irresistibly silky texture.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

We suggest this set of instruments for our method

(This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. When you use these hyperlinks to purchase one thing, we could earn a fee.)

• STAND MIXER: As a treasured energy- and time-saver, a stand mixer will assist whip the eggs and sugar collectively till the combination reaches ribbon-consistency for the cake batter, whisk the egg whites with ease for the Hazelnut Meringue, and assist in attaining the specified satiny texture for the Chocolate Condensed Milk Buttercream. (Pictured: KitchenAid® Artisan Stand Mixer, 5-Qt. and KitchenAid® Stand Mixer Clear Glass Bowl Attachment, 5-Qt.)
• SIEVE: We love this heavy-duty stainless-steel strainer. It’s fitted with ergonomically formed handles that make it snug to elevate and maintain when sifting dry substances for the cake layer. (Pictured: All-Clad 3-Piece Stainless-Metal Strainer Set.)
• ROUND CAKE PANS: Designed to bake evenly, these lovely, golden commercial-quality pans are crafted of aluminized metal for distinctive sturdiness, making them best for baking each the cake layers and the Hazelnut Meringue layer. (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch® Professional Nonstick Spherical Cake Pans, 8-inch.)
• THERMOMETER: We use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the egg and sugar mixtures attain the proper temperature when making the cake layers and the Hazelnut Meringue. (Pictured: OXO Thermocouple Thermometer.)
• RIMMED BAKING SHEET: A rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper is the proper floor for piping and baking our Hazelnut Meringue kisses! (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch® Professional Nonstick Non-Corrugated Half Sheet.)
• PIPING TIP: Utilizing a French star piping tip leads to sleek, easy Hazelnut Meringue kisses that can add a contact of magnificence when adorning the Kyiv Cake. (Pictured: Ateco #864 Pastry Tip.)
• SAUCEPAN: You need a chrome steel saucepan that can warmth effectively and evenly when making a double boiler for heating the eggs and the sugar collectively at first levels of constructing the cake batter and meringue. (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Signature Thermo-Clad™ Stainless-Metal Saucepan.)
• WHISK, SPATULAS, PARING KNIFE, GLASS BOWLS: You possibly can’t beat the fundamentals for all of your baking wants. A whisk is crucial when combining the eggs and sugar collectively over the double boiler for the cake batter and the meringue layer. An array of spatulas is ideal for easy stirring and folding the batter, meringue, and buttercream effortlessly. Utilizing a pointy paring knife across the edges of the cake pans ensures the layers aren’t sticking to the perimeters of the pans earlier than inverting. A small offset spatula provides you optimum management when spreading the batter and meringue evenly into the cake pans and the buttercream onto the cake. Glass bowls are the proper vessels for measuring, prepping, and mixing all of your substances. (Pictured: Williams Sonoma Olivewood Whisk, Williams Sonoma Final Silicone Spatula Set with Stainless-Metal Deal with, Zwilling Professional Paring Knife, Williams Sonoma Olivewood Offset Icing Spatula, 4”, and Glass Mixing Bowl 10-Piece Set.)

MAKING MERINGUE MAGIC

Our recipe makes use of the Swiss method for creating an extremely secure and majestic meringue

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line backside of an 8-inch spherical cake pan with parchment paper. Line sides of pan with a strip of parchment paper. (See Word.) Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Within the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk collectively sugar, egg whites, and salt by hand. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook dinner, whisking gently and continuously, till sugar fully dissolves and an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C).

WHIP IT INTO SHAPE

you’ve acquired stiff peaks when you possibly can elevate the whisk out of the meringue and the height stands upright when held the wrong way up

1. Fastidiously transfer to face mixer. Utilizing the whisk attachment, beat at medium-high pace till stiff peaks type, 4 to five minutes. Watch the meringue because it climbs larger and better alongside the perimeters of the bowl. Cease whipping as quickly as you discover that it’s not rising. When the meringue is excellent, it would fill the bowl and maintain stiff peaks when examined. Simply make sure to not overwhip your meringue, which is able to start to deflate and turn into dense and look damaged.
2. In a small bowl, stir collectively cornstarch and vinegar. Add cornstarch combination to meringue, and beat at medium-high pace till included, about 30 seconds.

PERFECT PIPING

Even stress and a gentle hand are the keys to piping meringue kisses

1. Spoon ⅓ cup (25 grams) meringue right into a pastry bag fitted with a medium French star piping tip (Ateco #864). Holding tip perpendicular to parchment paper, pipe meringue kisses of various sizes a minimum of ½ inch aside on ready baking sheet. Put aside.

BAKE AND COOL

It’s time to bake off the gorgeous Hazelnut Meringue

1. Fold hazelnuts into remaining meringue. Spoon into ready cake pan, leveling with an offset spatula.
2. Bake spherical meringue layer by itself for half-hour. Place kisses in oven, and scale back oven temperature to 225°F (105°C). Proceed to bake each the spherical meringue layer and the kisses till dry to the contact, 40 to 55 minutes extra. Flip oven off; let meringues stand in oven with door closed for a minimum of 8 hours or as much as in a single day. Sudden temperature modifications may cause your baked meringues to crack. The trick is to let it cool slowly, so holding it the oven because it cools off permits the meringue to chill evenly and slowly. This additionally permits it to chill in a extra managed atmosphere. The oven helps defend the meringues from humidity that may trigger stickiness and weeping.

MAKING THE CAKE LAYERS

Mushy and tender cake begins with the proper batter

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line bottoms of two (8-inch) spherical cake pans with parchment paper.
2. Within the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk collectively eggs and sugar. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook dinner, whisking often, till an instant-read thermometer registers 110°F (43°C).
3. Fastidiously transfer to face mixer. Utilizing the whisk attachment, beat at excessive pace till thick, tripled in quantity, and ribbon-consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. “Ribbon-consistency” is a standard time period used to explain the looks of a batter or combination. The batter, when falling from the whisk attachment, creates a luxuriously thick ribbon. Because the batter from the whisk settles on prime of the batter within the bowl, the perimeters of the “ribbon” ought to stay clearly outlined on the floor for a number of moments earlier than slowly disappearing. This ribbon stage tells us that we’ve got whipped sufficient air into the batter to leaven the cake and are prepared to maneuver on to the subsequent step.
4. Gently sift collectively flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt over egg combination, and gently fold till mixed. Switch 1 cup (75 grams) batter to a small bowl, and stir in melted butter and vanilla till mixed. Fold butter combination into remaining batter simply till mixed. Divide between ready pans (about 3⅓ cups or 265 grams every). Sifting ensures all of the dry substances will evenly distribute within the batter, and thoroughly folding within the flour combination, butter, and vanilla at this level is vital to a lovely, ethereal cake.
5. Bake till golden brown and cake springs again when calmly pressed, 15 to twenty minutes. Let cool fully in pans on wire racks.

MAKING THE VELVETY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Satiny-smooth and creamy, this Chocolate Condensed Milk Buttercream comes collectively effortlessly with the assistance of a stand mixer

1. Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and vanilla at low pace till {smooth}. Slowly improve mixer pace to medium-high, and beat till pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With mixer on low pace, steadily add cocoa, beating till simply mixed and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low pace, add condensed milk in small increments. Enhance mixer pace to medium, and beat till thick sufficient to carry stiff peaks, 2 to three minutes. (If buttercream is simply too unfastened to make use of, cowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes after which rewhip.) Use instantly. It is vitally necessary to relax your sweetened condensed milk earlier than including it to the buttercream. It retains the combination from changing into too unfastened so the ultimate buttercream is the best texture and thickness to hold on the perimeters of a cake.

ASSEMBLING YOUR CAKE

The assembled Kyiv Cake is a textural expertise because of the contrasts of tender cake, crisp and ethereal meringue, and {smooth} buttercream

1. Run a thin-bladed knife alongside fringe of cake layers, and take away from pans. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate, and unfold ¼ cup (53 grams) Chocolate Condensed Milk Buttercream on prime. Prime with Hazelnut Meringue spherical layer. Unfold ¼ cup (53 grams) buttercream on prime of remaining cake layer, and place, buttercream facet down, on prime of meringue layer. Unfold remaining buttercream on prime and sides of cake as desired. Refrigerate for a minimum of half-hour earlier than serving.
2. When able to serve, garnish with hazelnuts and Hazelnut Meringue kisses, if desired. Greatest served similar day.