Mazurek (Polish Easter Cake)
Description
This mazurek is a beautiful Polish sheet cake served on Easter. It features a flower decoration made of 2 different-colored jams and flaked almonds.
Ingredients
•
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
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3/4 cup white sugar
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1 egg
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3 hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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1 cup ground almonds
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2 teaspoons lemon zest, or to taste
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1 beaten egg
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1/4 cup water
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3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
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1/2 cup cherry preserves
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1/2 cup apricot preserves
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1/4 cup sliced almonds
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1/4 cup candied cherries, halved, or more as needed
Directions
1
Make cake: Combine 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, and egg in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in mashed egg yolks until incorporated. Add flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest. Knead into a dough. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3
Roll out 2/3 of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle the size of the baking sheet. Lay onto the prepared baking sheet. Roll remaining dough into finger-thick rolls. Press dough rolls onto cake in a diamond-shaped pattern. Brush rolls with beaten egg.
4
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
5
Make decoration: Pour water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin powder on top. Let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Place over low heat; stir constantly until granules are completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
6
Heat cherry and apricot preserves in 2 separate small pots over low heat until hot. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into 2 separate bowls. Mix 1/2 of the dissolved gelatin into each flavor.
7
Alternate filling the diamond shapes of cake with the 2 different flavors. Arrange almonds and candied cherries into flower shapes on top.