Caramel Schmite

I found my way back to this recipe after a long time. It's a cake that has stuck in my mind since the days when I used to exchange recipes on torn pieces of paper, not online. I usually make it before holidays, but it works just as well on a regular weekend when I want something substantial with cream. I love that it doesn't require hard-to-find ingredients and yields enough for the whole family.

Quick Info

Total time: about 2 hours (including cooling and assembling)
Servings: 12-16 pieces (classic tray 25x35 cm)
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

Sheets

300 g all-purpose flour
150 g butter (or margarine, as preferred)
100 g sugar
1 egg
200 g sour cream
2 packets of vanilla sugar
a pinch of baking soda
juice from half a lemon (to deactivate the baking soda)

Coffee Caramel Cream

2 packets of caramel pudding (usually Dr. Oetker, 40 g/packet)
800 ml whole milk
300 g sugar
4 packets of instant coffee (Amigo or other soluble coffee, total 8-10 g)
250 g margarine (like Rama cube or soft butter)
chocolate flakes for decoration (optional, but enhances presentation)

Preparation Method

1. Preparing the dough for the sheets

In a large bowl, sift the flour and add the butter cut into cubes. Rub it with your fingers until the texture is sandy.
Separately, deactivate the baking soda with lemon juice and add it to the flour. Add the egg, sugar, vanilla sugar, and sour cream.
Knead everything briefly, just enough to obtain an elastic and homogeneous dough. Don’t over-knead to avoid making it tough.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. During this time, prepare the cream.

2. Baking the sheets

Divide the dough into three equal parts.
Prepare a large tray (about 25x35 cm). Roll out each piece of dough into a thin sheet, about the size of the tray's bottom.
Bake each sheet one at a time directly on the tray bottom lined with parchment paper at 180°C for 10-12 minutes. The edges should be slightly golden, not overly browned.
Let them cool on a rack or on paper, being careful not to break them.

3. Preparing the cream

Reserve 200 ml of milk for dissolving the pudding; put the remaining 600 ml in a saucepan over medium heat along with the sugar and instant coffee.
Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
In a separate bowl, mix the pudding powder with the 200 ml of cold milk until there are no lumps.
When the milk comes to a boil, pour in the dissolved pudding and whisk continuously.
Let it boil for 4-5 minutes until it thickens.
Remove from heat and let it cool for about 15-20 minutes, but not completely – ideally, it should be warm, not hot.
Add the cubed margarine or butter, mix immediately with a high-speed mixer until the cream becomes fluffy and smooth. If it curdles, add a tablespoon of warm water and continue mixing.
Let it reach room temperature, but do not refrigerate it before assembling.

4. Assembly

Place the first sheet on a platter, spread half of the cream, and level it.
Place the second sheet on top of the cream, then the remaining cream, and finally the third sheet on top.
Gently press down with your palm to level everything, but do not press too hard – the sheets are brittle at first.
Finally, cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the wrap, sprinkle chocolate flakes on top, and cut with a long knife. It cuts best after 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

Why I make this recipe often

I love it because it keeps well in the fridge, and the sheets become tender after sitting. It's quite filling, not overly sweet or bland. It helps when I have guests or events, as I can prepare it a day in advance and focus on other things.

Tips and Variations

Tips

The sheets harden while baking but soften overnight with the cream. Don’t overbake.
Full-fat sour cream (at least 20%) gives a more tender texture.
It's important for the pudding to be completely smooth when pouring it into the hot milk; otherwise, lumps will remain.
If you don't want coffee, you can reduce or eliminate it, but the final taste will be different – more like simple caramel without coffee flavor.

Substitutions

The margarine for the cream can be replaced with butter, but the taste and texture will be slightly different, heavier.
If you don't have full-fat sour cream for the sheets, you can use Greek yogurt, but it will be less tender.
Caramel pudding powder can be substituted with vanilla pudding plus a tablespoon of caramel extract, but it won’t have the same intensity.

Variations

You can add a handful of chopped nuts between layers for texture.
Instead of chocolate flakes, sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa or even a bit of powdered sugar.
It also works with a thin layer of chocolate glaze on top if you want something more festive.

Serving Ideas

Cut into small squares, like tray cakes, or into generous portions – your choice.
For events, it pairs well on assorted platters.
Great alongside a black coffee or a cup of tea, especially if you add coffee to the cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use only butter, without margarine?

Yes, it will turn out just as well, but the cream's texture will be slightly denser and the flavor richer.

2. Why does the cake need to sit overnight?

The sheets are hard after baking and need time to soften from the cream. If cut on the same day, it will crumble.

3. Can I freeze the cake?

Yes, but the texture of the cream may change slightly after thawing. It's better to keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

4. Can I use chocolate pudding instead of caramel?

You can, but you will get a completely different flavor. It won't be the same cake with caramel and coffee flavor.

5. If I don’t have coffee, can I omit it?

Yes, but it will lack the coffee note that makes the cream more interesting.

Nutritional Values (estimated, per serving – for 16 pieces)

Calories: ~330 kcal
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Fat: 18 g
The cake is filling, so small portions are sufficient. You can reduce the sugar or use lower-fat sour cream, but I don't recommend it for the texture of the sheets.

Storage and Reheating

Store in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days. It doesn’t need reheating – serve cold or at room temperature. If you want it softer, leave it out for 15-20 minutes on the kitchen counter before serving. I do not recommend reheating in the oven or microwave, as it will become too soft and ruin the texture of the cream.

We put the flour in a bowl, add baking soda mixed with a little lemon juice, then we mix well with margarine or butter. We add vanilla sugar, regular sugar, the whole egg, and sour cream, and knead a stretchy dough so it can be rolled out well. We set it aside for 30 minutes. In the meantime, we prepare the cream. We boil milk with sugar and instant coffee. In a small bowl, we dissolve the pudding, and when the milk is boiling, we pour in the dissolved pudding and let it cook for 5 minutes. We set it aside and let it cool slightly but not completely, then we add finely chopped Rama and mix well until it becomes a fluffy cream. We divide the dough into three equal parts, then bake the layers on the back of a tray. We fill the layers with the prepared cream, let it sit a bit, place the last layer on top, and decorate with chocolate flakes. It should be cut the next day (it needs to soften well). It is very good. Enjoy your meal.

A festive dessert and not only.

 Ingredients: FOR THE SHEETS 300 g flour 150 g butter or margarine 1 egg 100 g sugar a little baking soda (a pinch) 200 g sour cream 2 vanilla sugars FOR THE CREAM 2 Dr Oetker caramel puddings 4 sachets of Amigo coffee 800 ml milk 300 g sugar 250 g Rama margarine (block) chocolate flakes

 Tags:  caramel cream cake