Prăjitură Petre Roman (Petre Roman Cake)
Also called Petre Roman cake, prajitura Petre Roman
A cocoa sponge baked under a walnut meringue, layered with vanilla cream and finished with a thin glaze of apricot or sour cherry jam on the meringue.
- Makes
- about 12 squares, 25 × 17 cm (10 × 7 inch)
Ingredients
Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Cocoa sponge
Walnut meringue
Vanilla cream
Jam glaze
Method
Bake
Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a 25 × 35 cm (10 × 14 inch) pan.
Sponge. Beat the yolks with the granulated sugar (150 g¾ cup) and sunflower oil (40 g3 tbsp) until pale. Stir in the all-purpose flour (30 g4 tbsp) and cocoa powder (11 g2 tbsp). Spread it in the pan.
Meringue. Beat the whites with the salt to stiff peaks, adding the granulated sugar (200 g1 cup) gradually. Fold in the ground walnuts (100 g) and all-purpose flour (8 g1 tbsp). Spread it directly over the unbaked cocoa batter.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.
Cream
Heat the milk (500 ml2 cups). Whisk the egg yolks (3), granulated sugar (100 g½ cup) and cornstarch (50 g7 tbsp), whisk in some of the hot milk, then pour it all back into the pot and cook, whisking, until thick. Add the vanilla (1 tsp) and cool completely. Beat the butter (200 g¾ cup + 2 tbsp) until fluffy and fold in the custard.
Assembly
Cut the baked sheet in half crosswise. Turn one half onto a tray, meringue side down, and spread the vanilla cream over the cocoa side.
Set the other half on top, cocoa side down, so the meringue faces up.
Glaze. Warm the apricot or sour cherry jam (200 g) and strain it smooth. Spread it thinly over the top meringue.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours, then cut into squares.
Notes
- One pan, two layers. The cocoa batter and the meringue bake together but stay as separate layers.
- Strain the jam so the glaze is thin and glossy.