Prekmurje Layer Cake (Prekmurska gibanica)
Prekmurska gibanica Say it: prek-MOOR-skah ghee-BAH-nee-tsah
Cut into a Prekmurska gibanica and the fork meets soft strata of poppy seed, fresh cheese, walnuts and apples, all held by thin dough and soaked with butter and sour cream. The cake belongs to Slovenia’s Prekmurje region, where it is a fixture of weddings, holidays and family tables. Its sweet-tart, nutty, creamy profile is best appreciated at room temperature, after the layers have settled and the slices can be cut cleanly.
Prekmurje Layer Cake (Prekmurska gibanica)
Prekmurska gibanica
Pronounced prek-MOOR-skah ghee-BAH-nee-tsah
- Serves
- 12
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Level
- Advanced
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, nuts. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Shortcrust base (pótplat)
Stretched dough (vlečeno testo)
Poppy seed filling
Cottage cheese filling
Walnut filling
Apple filling
Topping and assembly
Method
For the stretched dough, combine the flour, egg, oil, salt and sugar in a bowl. Work in the warm water a little at a time, kneading until the dough is soft, elastic and no longer sticks to the bowl. Form a ball, coat it with oil, cover, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
For the shortcrust base, cut the cold butter into the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the egg and sour cream, then gather into a smooth dough. Wrap it and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To make the poppy seed filling, stir the boiling milk into the ground poppy seeds, then add both sugars. For the walnut filling, combine the ground walnuts with the boiling milk, both sugars and the cinnamon, mixing to a spreadable paste. For the cottage cheese filling, mash the cheese with a fork, then beat in the eggs, both sugars and the salt until even. For the apple filling, toss the grated apples with both sugars and the cinnamon.
For the topping, whisk the sour cream with the eggs; melt the butter in a separate pan. Butter a deep 12-by-14-inch (30-by-35 cm) baking pan that is at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall.
Roll the shortcrust dough to fit the pan, press it across the bottom and up the sides, prick it with a fork and refrigerate it while you roll the stretched dough.
Cut the stretched dough into 11 equal portions and keep them covered. On a floured cloth, roll and stretch each portion until it is very thin and translucent; lay one sheet over the chilled base and leave the edges hanging over.
Begin the first filling sequence. spread half the poppy seed filling on the dough, drizzle with melted butter and a little sour-cream topping, then cover with a stretched dough sheet. Continue with half the cottage cheese filling, then half the walnut filling, then half the apple filling; before the apples, scatter half the breadcrumbs over the dough. Cover each filling with a dough sheet and moisten with butter and topping.
Repeat the same order once more—poppy seed, cottage cheese, walnut and apple—using the remaining fillings and breadcrumbs. Finish with the last sheet of stretched dough, press the cake down lightly, trim the overhanging edges, brush with plenty of melted butter and pour over the rest of the sour-cream topping.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 70 minutes, until the surface is deeply golden and a skewer in the center comes out clean. If the top colors too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then cut it into squares or diamonds. Serve at room temperature.
Regional variant: Prekmurska gibanica with home-rendered lard (z domačo mastjo)
On traditional farms, rendered pork lard can replace part of the butter, giving the crust a richer, more savory character. Use ½ cup (100 g) lard in place of the same amount of butter in the shortcrust and for brushing the dough sheets; for a simpler finish, leave out the sour-cream topping.
Cook's notes
- While you assemble the cake, keep the unused stretched dough covered so it stays pliable and does not dry out or tear.
- Use a deep pan: the cake rises only a little, but it needs space for nine layers.
- For the cleanest slices, wait several hours after baking so the layers settle before cutting.
Serve with
Pair it with strong coffee or a dry white wine such as a local Šipon.
Make ahead and storage
Covered, the cake holds for up to 3 days at room temperature or 5 days in the refrigerator; let it come back to room temperature before serving.
