Delicious Transylvanian Cake

The first time I tried this cake, I completely forgot to roast the walnuts beforehand and ended up with everything tasting "raw," even though it looked good. Now I laugh about it, but I was really annoyed back then because the whole kitchen smelled of vanilla and chocolate. I also had crumbs of Turkish delight everywhere on the table. Now, when I start making it, I take the ingredients out in advance, just to make sure I don't get sidetracked.

Time: about two hours including cooling, longer if you keep sneaking tastes of the cream. I make enough for 14-16 servings, depending on how small you cut the pieces. It's not hard, but it's not the kind of thing you can quickly throw in the oven when guests arrive at your door. I’d say it’s around medium difficulty — you need patience with the base and to not get lost with the cream.

Ingredients (for a standard tray, roughly 28x38 cm):

For the base:
8 eggs (they provide volume, making the base light and nice)
12 tablespoons flour (ensures structure, so it doesn’t crumble)
8 tablespoons hot water (helps with consistency, making the batter smoother)
1 packet baking powder (to help it rise nicely)
12 tablespoons sugar (sweetens and helps the egg yolk foam)

For the vanilla cream:
500 ml milk (the base of the cream, brings that "milky" taste)
6 tablespoons flour (thickens the cream)
200 g sugar (sweetens)
1 packet Rama margarine (I admit, sometimes I use butter, it makes the cream tastier)
3 packets vanilla sugar (for flavor)

Filling and decoration:
300 g Turkish delight (as colorful as possible, cut into sticks)
250 g walnuts (must be roasted and roughly chopped, not ground)
300 g cooking chocolate (bitter works too, as long as it’s not too sweet)
50 ml milk and one tablespoon of butter (for the glaze, to prevent cracking when cutting)

Preparation method:

1. The base. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and hot water well with a mixer until they foam and lighten in color. Don’t rush it; the sugar needs to dissolve, or you’ll feel the granules later. Beat the egg whites separately with a pinch of salt. They should be stiff enough that you can turn the bowl upside down without anything spilling (I remember the first time I didn’t beat them enough, and the base sank). Combine the two mixtures with wide, slow movements, being careful not to break the foam.

Mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it directly over the eggs. Gently fold it in without beating hard. When you can no longer see any flour, stop. Pour everything into the tray lined with baking paper, level it out, and put it in the preheated oven at 180°C for about 25-30 minutes. From experience, if you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean, it’s done. Don’t keep it too long, or it will dry out.

When you take the base out, flip it onto a damp towel and let it cool. This makes a difference — it won’t break or become crumbly. Once it’s cool, cut it in half horizontally with a long knife.

2. The cream. In a large saucepan, mix the flour, sugar, and cold milk with a whisk to avoid lumps. Put it on low heat and stir continuously. When it starts to thicken (about the consistency of a thicker pudding), take it off the heat and let it cool completely. If you add the margarine/butter before it’s cool, it will curdle — and you won’t be able to fix that unsightly appearance, no matter how much you mix.

When it’s cooled, add the margarine or butter cut into small cubes, plus the vanilla sugar. Whip at high speed until it looks like a smooth, fluffy cream. I like to use half margarine and half butter when I want a more "pure" taste.

3. Assembly. Cut the base into two equal sheets (if it doesn’t come out perfectly, no worries — you can fix it with cream). Spread half of the cream on the first sheet. Scatter the sticks of Turkish delight (try to be as even as possible, so you find some in every bite), then sprinkle the roasted and roughly chopped walnuts on top. Add the remaining cream, followed by the other half of the base.

4. The glaze. Break the cooking chocolate into small pieces and place it over a double boiler or directly in a small pan with milk and butter. Stir until it becomes fluid and pour it over the cake in one go, without going back over the same area, to prevent it from hardening unevenly. If you want it to be glossy, don’t add too much milk.

Let the cake cool in the fridge for a few hours. I never have the patience and always cut a corner while it’s still soft, but ideally, it should sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.

Why do I make it so often? Because it’s perfect for any celebration, it doesn’t taste "cheap" at all, and the Turkish delight and walnuts make the whole combination. There’s rarely any left — it’s sweet but not heavy, brings people to the table, and looks spectacular in the tray. It saves me when I don’t want to make a cake but still want something festive and reminiscent of childhood creams.

Tips, variations, and serving ideas:

Useful tips:
Don’t skip roasting the walnuts — if you use them raw, they’ll leave a bitter taste, almost like cardboard. If your cream curdles, add a little cold butter and whip it again; most of the time, it will come back together. The base should only be cut once it’s completely cool; otherwise, it sticks to the knife and breaks.

Don’t let the chocolate boil; otherwise, it will become hard as glass. When melting it, don’t leave its side. And don’t add too much milk to the glaze; it becomes watery and doesn’t sit nicely on the cake.

Substitutions:
Instead of margarine, you can use butter (I prefer that, but if you want a dairy-free option, stick to the classic version). For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour for both the base and the cream — rice flour works well here, without affecting the texture.

The Turkish delight can be replaced with dried fruit if you don’t like that gelatinous consistency (it’s not as sweet, but it’s fine in taste).

If you want a "lighter" version, use less sugar and more walnuts for consistency.

Variations:
Some sprinkle a little grated orange or lemon peel into the cream for a touch of freshness. It works, but don’t overdo it, so it doesn’t overpower the vanilla. Instead of plain chocolate, you can create a mosaic with white chocolate if you want it to look more festive.

For the creams, if you want to experiment, you can replace the vanilla sugar with a real vanilla pod or essence.

Serving ideas:
This cake is best cut into squares or small rectangles on a large platter. It pairs well with black coffee or a dry tea. I don’t recommend eating it with warm milk — it loses all the cream’s delicacy. If you want to include it in a full menu, you can serve it alongside a light salad or after a meal with lean meat, as it’s quite filling.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Can I make the base with fewer eggs?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it. Once I used only 6 and it turned out a bit dry and thin. If you reduce the eggs, compensate with a little oil or yogurt; otherwise, it won’t have that airy texture.

2. Can I use 100% butter instead of margarine in the cream?
You can. I actually prefer it. The cream is tastier, but it firms up a bit more in the fridge. Take the cake out 30 minutes before serving so it’s not rock hard.

3. What should I use to cut the cake so the glaze doesn’t crumble?
Use a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. After each cut, wipe it again. If you use a cold knife, the glaze will crack badly.

4. Can it be made a day in advance?
It actually tastes better the next day, as the flavors meld together. Keep it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap so it doesn’t absorb foreign odors.

5. Can it be made without Turkish delight?
Yes, just with walnuts, but it won’t be the same cake. You can compensate with dried fruits or even jam if you don’t want the classic version.

Nutritional values (approximate):

A slice (around 100g) has about 350-400 kcal. It depends on how much cream you put and how thick the glaze is. Quite a bit of carbohydrates (sugar, flour, Turkish delight), fats from margarine/butter and walnuts, and some protein from eggs and walnuts. It’s not a diet cake, but it’s not the caloric bomb of desserts with lots of butter either. If you want to reduce calories, cut down on sugar and use more walnuts — they have good fats and provide satiety.

It’s still a cake with cream and chocolate, so don’t expect it to be "fit." I see it as a special occasion dessert, not an everyday one.

How to store and reheat:

Keep it in the fridge, well covered with plastic wrap or in a container, so the base doesn’t dry out and doesn’t absorb odors. It lasts easily 4-5 days if you don’t eat it all by then.

Don’t reheat it in the traditional way, as the glaze will melt and the cream will also "melt," becoming weird. If you’ve cut it and it’s too hard from the fridge, take it out 20-30 minutes before serving, at room temperature, to soften and regain its flavor. If you want, you can gently warm a slice in the microwave (maximum 10-15 seconds), but it’s not necessary — in fact, it’s better cold.

That’s how I make it, with all the necessary improvisations and everything I’ve learned from mistakes.

 Ingredients: Base: 8 eggs, 12 tablespoons flour, 8 tablespoons hot water, 1 packet baking powder. Vanilla cream: 500 ml milk, 3 packets vanilla sugar, 6 tablespoons flour, 200 g sugar, 1 pack margarine. Other ingredients: 300 g Turkish delight, 250 g roasted and coarsely chopped walnuts, 300 g cooking chocolate.

 Tags:  vanilla cream cake