Bled Cream Cake (Blejska kremna rezina)
Blejska kremna rezina Say it: BLEH-skah KREHM-nah reh-ZEE-nah
Bled cream cake is a chilled, layered dessert from the town of Bled, created at Hotel Park beside the lake. A slice should cut cleanly through crisp puff pastry, set vanilla custard, and firm whipped cream, then finish with a snowy dusting of sugar. It works best as a dessert you assemble ahead for a coffee table, birthday, or weekend baking plan, since chilling is what makes the neat layers possible.
Bled Cream Cake (Blejska kremna rezina)
Blejska kremna rezina
Pronounced BLEH-skah KREHM-nah reh-ZEE-nah
- Serves
- 12
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 50 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Pastry
Custard filling
Whipped cream layer
Method
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and cover a large baking sheet with parchment. Lightly flour the work surface, roll the puff pastry into two rectangles a little bigger than a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) pan, and prick both pieces well with a fork. Bake on the sheet until deeply golden and crisp, 18–22 minutes, then cool fully and trim each rectangle to the pan’s exact size.
Split the eggs, putting the whites into a clean bowl for later. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks with 4 tbsp (50 g) sugar until the mixture looks paler and thicker. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch, then add 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk and whisk until no lumps remain.
Put the rest of the milk—3 1/2 cups (820 ml)—in a heavy saucepan with 5 tbsp (62 g) of the remaining sugar and the vanilla sugar or vanilla extract. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until tiny bubbles form at the edge. Pour the yolk mixture into the hot milk and cook, whisking without stopping, until the custard is very thick and just starts to bubble, 5–7 minutes. Take the pan off the heat.
In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the last 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar to stiff, glossy peaks. Add the whites to the hot custard in two or three batches, folding gently until no big streaks are left. Cool the custard at room temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
For assembly, whip the very cold cream with powdered sugar until firm peaks hold.
Set one pastry rectangle in the bottom of a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) pan. Spread the cooled custard in an even layer over it, then spoon the whipped cream on top and smooth it gently to the edges. Place the second pastry rectangle over the cream and press lightly so it sticks.
Cover and chill for at least 2–3 hours, or as long as 24 hours, until the cake is set and easy to slice. Dust heavily with powdered sugar right before serving. Cut into 12 rectangles with a long serrated knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
Regional variant: Classic Balkan krempita (krempita)
For the classic Balkan krempita, leave out the whipped cream and make twice as much vanilla custard. Some cooks put the extra custard on the bottom pastry, add the second pastry sheet, and finish with sugar; others add a thin layer of sweetened sour cream or a browned meringue topping before serving.
Cook's notes
- Stop whipping the cream once it holds stiff peaks; a grainy texture means it is beginning to separate.
- The custard should be fully cool before it goes onto the pastry, or the layers will be harder to keep neat.
- Use a serrated knife and a light sawing motion so the top pastry does not break into uneven shards.
Serve with
Offer it well chilled alongside black coffee, tea, or cold milk; in Bled it is commonly served as an afternoon treat.
Make ahead and storage
The cake can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and kept refrigerated; dust with powdered sugar only at serving time so the top stays dry.
