Cake with cream, Turkish delight, and lemon
In general, I only make layered cakes like this when I know I have time to let them cool until the next day. With the Turkish delight cream and apples, this cake was a staple in our home, especially in winter. I have made it several times and I am always surprised by how well it keeps and how simple the process is, even though it has a few extra steps compared to other fasting cakes.
Quick info
Total time: about 3-4 hours (including cooling and assembling)
Servings: 24-28 pieces (from a large tray, approximately 35x25 cm)
Difficulty: medium (especially the sheets)
Ingredients
Sheets:
20 tablespoons of mineral water
20 tablespoons of oil
20 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
grated zest of one orange
800-900 g of flour (add as needed for an elastic, non-sticky dough)
Apple filling:
1 kg of peeled apples
3-4 tablespoons of sugar (depending on how sweet the apples are)
2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of powdered vanilla sugar
Turkish delight cream with lemon:
1.6 kg of Turkish delight (traditional, soft, not the extra-dry type)
1 large, juicy lemon
250-300 g of margarine at room temperature
For decoration:
powdered sugar
Preparation method
1. Apple filling
Peel the apples, grate them on a large grater, and squeeze out the excess juice. Place them in a pot with 2 tablespoons of oil and 3-4 tablespoons of sugar. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the juice completely evaporates (about 15-20 minutes). At the end, add the cinnamon and powdered vanilla sugar, mix well, and set aside to cool. It is important for it to be completely cold before assembly; otherwise, the sheets will become excessively soft.
2. Turkish delight cream with lemon
Slice the lemon thinly and remove the seeds. Pass the Turkish delight and lemon slices through a meat grinder or food processor. Place the mixture in a large bowl. Add a package of soft margarine and mix well with a wooden spoon or mixer with paddles. Gradually incorporate the remaining margarine (only if needed, depending on how dry the Turkish delight is). The cream should be smooth and easy to spread, not too liquid.
3. Sheets
In a large bowl, mix the mineral water, oil, and sugar. Once the sugar partially dissolves, add the orange zest and baking powder. Gradually add the sifted flour until you obtain an elastic, soft dough that does not stick to your hands.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Prepare the large baking tray – ideally with a flat bottom, well greased with margarine.
Roll each piece into a thin, as even as possible sheet. Place the sheet on a rolling pin, transfer it to the back of the tray, and trim the hanging edges. Prick with a fork here and there.
Bake each sheet individually at 180°C (preheated oven) until lightly browned around the edges (about 8-10 minutes per sheet). Carefully remove and let them cool on a board, between two towels, to prevent drying out.
4. Assembly
When all the sheets are cool and the creams are at room temperature, start assembling.
On a large board or tray, place the first sheet. Quickly spread half of the Turkish delight cream while it is still warm (otherwise, it will be harder to spread, especially if it has completely cooled). Place the second sheet, press down gently, and evenly spread all the apple filling (at room temperature or even cold). Place the third sheet and the remaining Turkish delight cream, leveling carefully. Cover with the last sheet.
Place a flat cutting board and a small weight (e.g., a book or a bag of rice) on top of the cake to press it slightly. Leave it like this for about 30 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake for at least 24 hours. It cuts best when cold, with a serrated knife.
5. Why I make the recipe often
The cake keeps well in the fridge for a few days and can be cut cleanly. It is quite inexpensive considering the large volume. I can use apples from the garden, simple Turkish delight from the market, and it is suitable for fasting, which is useful when I have guests or fasting days. It also fits well in a lunch box or container.
Tips and variations
Tips
- The sheets are baked separately and can be fragile when fresh, do not stack them while hot.
- If the dough is too tough, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of mineral water.
- During assembly, if the Turkish delight cream is hard to spread, you can slightly warm the margarine (not too much, so it doesn't melt).
Substitutions
- Turkish delight can be replaced with fruit-flavored Turkish delight or plain Turkish delight (without coconut).
- Margarine can be replaced with butter for a non-vegan version.
- For those who do not want lemon, orange zest can be added instead of lemon, but it will not have the same freshness in taste.
Variations
- You can also add a thin layer of sour jam over the Turkish delight cream, for example, apricot jam.
- Instead of apples, grated pumpkin or pears can be used, prepared the same way, but the texture will be different.
- For different flavors, add 1 teaspoon of rum essence to the Turkish delight cream.
Serving ideas
- Serve cold, cut into cubes or rectangles, dusted with sugar.
- It can also be placed on holiday platters alongside other dry cakes.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can the sheets be baked a day in advance?
Yes, if you do not stack them and cover them with a towel, they will last without drying out.
2. Can I use butter instead of margarine?
Yes, but then the cake is no longer suitable for fasting.
3. How do I cut the cake most cleanly?
With a large serrated knife, dipped in hot water and wiped after each cut.
4. Does the top sheet stay crispy?
If you do not leave the cake in the fridge overnight, the top sheet will be crispier and may break when cutting. After 24 hours, it softens perfectly.
5. What do I do if I don't have a food processor or grinder?
The Turkish delight can be cut into very small cubes with a knife and mixed more with margarine and finely grated lemon.
Nutritional values (per estimated serving)
Calories: 230-260 kcal
Carbohydrates: 45 g
Fats: 6-8 g
Proteins: 1-2 g
It is a cake rich in carbohydrates (sugars from Turkish delight and apples, plus flour) and quite filling. It contains fats from margarine and oil.
Storage and reheating
It keeps in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 6 days. It does not make sense to reheat it, it is meant to be served cold. If you want to transport it, it can be wrapped in wax paper or an airtight container. Do not freeze, as the texture of the sheets changes significantly after thawing.
First, we prepare the apple filling: We wash the apples, peel them, and grate them with a large grater. We put the oil in a pot, add the apples that we squeeze to remove the juice, and the sugar. We place it on the stove over medium heat until all the juice reduces well, and at the end, we flavor it with cinnamon and powdered sugar with vanilla pods. We set it aside when ready and let it cool well. Lemon Turkish Delight Cream: We wash the lemon, slice it, and remove the seeds if there are any. We pass the Turkish delight through a meat grinder together with the lemon slices. We add room temperature margarine, starting with one package, and mix well until we obtain a cream. If needed, add a little more. The Dough: In a bowl, we mix the sparkling water, oil, and sugar until the sugar dissolves a bit. We add the grated orange peel, baking powder, and then the sifted flour. We add the flour gradually until we obtain a non-sticky dough, easy to work with like play dough. We divide the dough into four equal parts. We grease the bottom of a large tray with margarine. We take the first piece of dough, roll it out into a thin sheet, gently roll it onto a rolling pin, and place it on the back of the tray. We prick it with a fork here and there, cut off the excess from the edges, and put it in the preheated oven at a suitable temperature. We leave it until it browns slightly on top, then we take it out. We place it on a large tray and immediately put half of the Turkish delight cream on it, without letting the sheet cool. We prepare the second sheet in the same way, place it warm over the cream, add the apples, and spread them evenly. It is very important to grease the bottom of the tray before baking each sheet, otherwise, you risk it sticking. We place the third baked sheet, the remaining cream, and then the last sheet on top. We press gently to avoid breaking and let it cool for about 30 minutes. We cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 24 hours. It is cut, dusted with sugar, and served.
Ingredients: For the sheets: 20 tablespoons of mineral water, 20 tablespoons of oil, 20 tablespoons of sugar, 1 pinch of baking powder, grated orange peel, flour as needed (about 800-900 g). For the lemon rahat cream: 1.6 kg of rahat, 1 large ripe lemon, 250-300 g of margarine. For the apple filling: 1 kg of apples, 3-4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar with vanilla pods, powdered sugar.
