Lajcsi szelet is one of the most popular Hungarian cream cakes, which combines thick, cocoa-honey layers and two types of pudding cream (vanilla and punch/rum)! “Lajcsi in a new guise” probably refers to the classic recipe shaped into a cake, or perhaps a dessert consisting of round sheets.
The point is that the creamy, multi-layered taste experience remains, only the shape changes!
Here is the recipe for Lajcsi-szelet-torta (Lajcsi in a new guise), based on the traditional ones:
🍰 Lajcsi Szelet Torta (New Guise)
This recipe has been adapted for a round cake tin ($18-20 \text{ cm}$ diameter).
I. Dough Ingredients
Fine flour: $40 \text{ dkg}$
Sugar: $20 \text{ dkg}$
Eggs: $2 \text{ pcs}$
Honey: $2 \text{ tsp}$
Butter (or margarine): $5 \text{ dkg}$
Cocoa powder (unsweetened): $2 \text{ tsp}$
Baking soda: $2 \text{ mocha spoons}$
II. Cream Ingredients
Milk: $1 \text{ liter}$
Punch-flavored pudding powder: $2 \text{ packets}$
Vanilla-flavored pudding powder: $2 \text{ packets}$
Butter (or margarine): $25 \text{ dkg}$ (room temperature, soft)
Icing sugar: $20 \text{ dkg}$
Rum (or rum flavor): to taste (for the punch cream)
III. Chocolate Frosting
Dark chocolate (cake coating): $15 \text{ dkg}$
Oil (cooking oil): $1 \text{ ek}$
👨🍳 Preparation
- The Pastry Sheets (Cocoa-Honey Sheets)
Melt over steam: Place the sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, honey and butter in a heatproof bowl. Place over steam (over a water source, but do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl) and stir until the butter and sugar are completely melted and you get a smooth, shiny mass.
Knead: In another bowl, mix the flour with the baking soda. Pour in the warm butter-honey mixture and knead into a soft but cohesive dough.
Stretching and Baking: Divide the dough into 3-4 equal parts (depending on the size of the cake tin). Roll out each piece on a piece of baking paper into a thin, round sheet (approx. $2-3 \text{ mm}$ thick). Prick the sheets with a fork.
Bake the sheets one by one Bake in a preheated oven at $180^\circ\text{C}$ for about $8-10 \text{ minutes}$, or until the edges just start to brown. While still warm, cut around with your mold to make it regular. Let it cool. - The Two Types of Cream
Cooking the Puddings: Cook the pudding powders separately (the vanilla one with $5 \text{ dl milk}$ and the punch one with $5 \text{ dl milk}$) according to the instructions on the bag (possibly with less milk to make them thicker). Let them cool completely. Important: Cover the surface of the puddings with foil to prevent a skin from forming!
Buttercream: Cream the soft butter with the powdered sugar.
Preparation: Divide the buttercream into two equal parts.
Mix one half with the cooled vanilla pudding.
The other half mix with the cooled punch pudding and season with rum or rum flavoring. - Assembly
Place the first sheet of dough on a plate or cake stand. Spread half of the punch cream on it.
Place the second sheet on top, spread half of the vanilla cream on it.
Place the third sheet on top, spread the other half of the punch cream on it.
The fourth sheet (if there is a fourth sheet) can be covered with the remaining vanilla cream, or spread it on the sides of the cake as well. - Decoration (Chocolate Frosting)
Melt: Melt the chocolate with the oil over steam or low heat until you get a smooth, shiny glaze.
Coating: Pour the glaze on top of the cake and let it drip nicely down the sides.
😋 Resting
The secret to the Lajcsi slice (and the cake) is that the honey sheets soften from the moisture of the cream. Leave the cake to Let it rest in the fridge for at least one night! It will be the creamiest and most delicious the next day.
Enjoy this fabulous, “newly-revamped” classic!
Would you like a quick recipe to decorate the cake (e.g. a simple chocolate decoration)?