Markiza Cake – Торт “Маркиза”

Name: Markiza Cake - Торт "Маркиза"
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 3 egg yolks; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (room temperature); 3 cups all-purpose flour (add 1/2 cup more if needed); 7 egg whites; 2 cups white granulated sugar; 2 cups walnuts (chopped); 1 lb unsalted butter (room temperature (leave at room temp for 3 hours)); 2 cans of dulce de leche/sweetened condensed milk ((1 can = 14 oz)); 2 Tbsp instant coffee; 2 Tbsp hot water to dissolve; 2 Tbsp cocoa powder; 16 oz Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream; 3/4 cup heavy cream (boiling hot); 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips; 2 tbsp corn syrup ((optional - it adds shine to the ganache))

September 30, 2012

5 from 7 votes
48 comments
- #Cake
- #Dessert

Markiza Cake is a popular Russian Cake that consists of thin layers of shortbread, meringue, walnuts and Dulce de Leche Buttercream. It’s one of the most well loved cakes in my family and they request it all the time! Try it and you’ll see why!

Markiza cake slice on a plate topped with a chocolate ganache and whipped cream. The most popular and most often requested cake in our family. Markiza cake consists of thin shortbread cake layers, topped with meringue & walnuts, then layered with dulce de leche filling.

There’s not been a celebration where this Markiza Cake was not requested. It is truly delicious. With my love for all things dulce de leche & nuts I might be slightly biased, but I am thinking that may be not that much, since everyone (literally) who has ever tried it always made comments on how awesome it is. The only complaint that one might have is that it might be too sweet for some. But nothing a sugar free cup of tea of coffee can’t fix 🙂

What are the variations of this Russian Cake Markiza?

There are two major things that can be changed in this cake to make it different. One is, the nuts. You can switch the nuts hazelnuts or pecans and the flavor will change accordingly. Also, you can substitute the dulce de leche for regular sweetened condensed milk like I did in this Marquise Cake.

I say if you’re feeling brave one of these days and have several hours of time to kill, go ahead and try it. Not only will you have a delicious cake, but then you get the bragging rights too!

For step by step picture instructions of this cake see this Marquise Cake Recipe. That recipe is made the same exact way as this one, only it uses sweetened condensed milk in the cream instead of dulce de leche. The Marquise cake is also a scaled-down version of this cake.

Here are some more Cakes to try:

Marble Cake – Chocolate and vanilla cake cubes dipped in chocolate, cherries and topped with a sour cream frosting.
Russian Royal Cake – Layered of chocolate cake with dulce de leche cream, cherries, and walnuts.
Russian Napoleon Cake – Crispy layers of puff pastry, sandwiched together with creamy and buttery custard.

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Markiza Cake - Торт "Маркиза"

5 from 7 votes

Markiza Cake is a popular Russian Cake that consists of thin layers of shortbread, meringue, walnuts and Dulce de Leche Buttercream.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Russian

Keyword: markiza cake

Calories: 566 kcal

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 24 Servings

Ingredients

For Cake Layers

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour (add 1/2 cup more if needed)

Meringue

7 egg whites
2 cups white granulated sugar
2 cups walnuts chopped

Dulce de leche cream

1 lb unsalted butter room temperature (leave at room temp for 3 hours)
2 cans of dulce de leche/sweetened condensed milk (1 can = 14 oz)
2 Tbsp instant coffee
2 Tbsp hot water to dissolve
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

For Decor

16 oz Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cup heavy cream boiling hot
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp corn syrup (optional - it adds shine to the ganache)

Instructions

Make the Dulce de Leche

Choose one method below.
If starting with sweetened condensed milk (not pre-made dulce de leche), you can make it at home.
Stovetop Method – Unopened Cans
Remove the labels from 2 cans of dulce de leche/sweetened condensed milk cans of sweetened condensed milk. Place them in a deep pot and cover with water by at least 3 inches. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook over low heat for 2 hours, keeping the cans fully submerged at all times.

⚠️ Important: Do not allow the water level to drop below the cans. Exposed cans can build pressure and burst.

Remove carefully and allow to cool completely at room temperature, or cool faster in a pot of cold water. Do not open while hot.
Stovetop Method – Canning Jar
Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a heat-safe canning jar and seal tightly with a lid. Line the bottom of the pot with 3–4 layers of paper towels or a folded kitchen towel to prevent the glass from touching the pot.

Place the jar inside, cover with water by at least 3 inches, and simmer gently for 2 hours. Remove and cool completely before opening.

Prepare the dough

Egg Yolks & Sour Cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 3 egg yolks and 1/4 cup sour cream until combined.
Baking Soda + Vinegar: In a small cup, mix 1 tsp baking soda with 1 tsp white vinegar. Stir until the foam subsides, then add to the egg mixture.
Butter: Add 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter and mix for about 30 seconds, just to combine.
Flour: Add 3 cups all-purpose flour (add 1/2 cup more if needed), mixing until a dough forms.
Divide the dough into:

• 10 balls for a 10-inch round cake
• 4 balls for a 12×9-inch rectangular cake
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.

Make the Dulce de Leche frosting

Coffee & Cocoa: Dissolve 2 Tbsp instant coffee in 2 Tbsp hot water to dissolve . Stir in 2 Tbsp cocoa powder to bloom, then set aside to cool.
Whip Butter: Whip room-temperature 1 lb unsalted butter until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add dulce de leche: Add 2 cans of dulce de leche/sweetened condensed milkin 2–3 additions, mixing just until incorporated. Do not overwhip.
Coffee & Cocoa: Add the cooled coffee mixture and carefully fold to incorporate.
Set aside 1 cup of frosting for covering the sides of the cake later.
Add to a pastry bag: Transfer the remaining frosting to a zip-top bag or pastry bag.

For easy filling, drape the bag over a large pitcher or measuring cup and pour in the cream. Twist the end closed and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the meringue

(do this 20 minutes before ready to roll out the dough)

Fit the mixer with a whisk attachment.

Add 7 egg whites to a clean, grease-free bowl and whip until frothy, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, gradually add 2 cups white granulated sugar in a steady stream.

Continue whipping for 15–20 minutes, until glossy and holding stiff peaks.

Roll and Bake Cake layers

Preheat oven to 375 °F with the rack centred.
Rolling the Dough
The dough must be rolled paper-thin, so secure the rolling surface to prevent shifting.

Round Layers

Work with one dough ball at a time. Place a damp towel on the counter, set a 10-inch round pan upside down on top, and roll the dough directly onto the back until paper-thin.

Rectangular Layers:

Set a 12x18-inch pan upside down on top of the damp towel, and roll the dough directly onto the back until paper-thin.

OR Lightly mist the counter with water and press down a sheet of foil (about 12×20 inches). Roll one dough ball out to 12×18 inches, very thin and almost transparent.
Add Toppings
Spread 1/10 of the meringue (or ¼ for rectangular) evenly over the dough.

Sprinkle with the same proportion of chopped walnuts.

If rolled on foil, slide a baking sheet underneath. Otherwise, transfer directly to the oven.
Bake
at 375°F for 6 minutes, then reduce to 225°F and bake 15–16 minutes more. The cake beneath the meringue should be golden, not pale or burnt.

Repeat with remaining dough and meringue.
Cool the Layers
Remove from the oven and cool completely. Handle gently — the layers are very fragile.If a layer cracks, don’t worry; it can still be assembled.

Assemble the cake

Prep:
Snip off the end of the Zip-lock bag with the frosting and pipe a small dollop of frosting onto the serving platter.

Slide a flat baking sheet under the first layer and transfer it on top. Press gently to adhere.
Pipe the dulce de leche cream
Pipe 1/10 of the frosting (¼ for rectangular) in a zigzag pattern, spacing lines about ½ inch apart. Add the next layer and pipe frosting in the opposite direction. Continue layering, alternating zigzag directions. Finish by inverting the top layer meringue-side down.

Tip (Rectangular Cake): Cut the assembled cake in half crosswise. Pipe frosting onto one half in the same zigzag pattern, then use a baking sheet to transfer the second half on top. You should now have an 8-layer 12"x9" cake. Handle gently.

Note: Inverting the top layer creates a smooth surface for frosting. Traditionally, the cake is left meringue-side up, with the nut-studded meringue as the decoration. The sides are simply trimmed and pressed with chopped nuts.
Finish & Decorate
Trim the sides to make them even with a serrated knife. Chilling the cake for 1–2 hours before trimming makes this easier.

Cover the sides of the cake with the reserved cream and press with chopped nuts.
Fill in the sides of the cake with the reserved 1 cup of dulce de leche cream.
Cover the cake completely with 16 oz Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream, evening out the sides and top and preparing it for the chocolate ganache covering.

Decorate with Simple Ganache

Combine 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp corn syrup , and 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
Pour the prepared chocolate ganache on the top center of the cake. Using an offset spatula, gently guide it outward in a spiral to cover the top, letting it naturally drizzle down the sides.

Storage instructions

Refrigerate the cake covered under a cake dome until ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts

Markiza Cake - Торт "Маркиза"

Amount Per Serving (160 g)

Calories 566 Calories from Fat 414

% Daily Value*

Fat 46g71%

Saturated Fat 26g163%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 127mg42%

Sodium 81mg4%

Potassium 170mg5%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 1264IU25%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 62mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Russian / Ukrainian, 4th of July, Cake Decorating, Christmas, Decorating, Easter, Holiday, Make ahead, Special Diet, Sweet, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Caramel, Dulce de Leche, Meringue, Nuts, Sweetened Condensed Milk, walnuts

Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)