Pleśniak (Polish Layered Cake) with Black Currants and Meringue
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/desserts/plesniak-polish-layered-cake-with-black-currants-and-meringue
About this recipe
Pleśniak with black currants is a layered shortcrust cake with a pale base, tart fruit, a cocoa layer, and light meringue. Its sweetness balances the currants' intense flavor, while the three colors of dough create a distinctive, striking cross-section. Make the dessert a day ahead so it is completely cool and easy to slice. The recipe fills a pan measuring about 24 × 24 cm and makes 12 even portions.
Ingredients
Servings: 12
Dough
400 g all-purpose flour
250 g cold butter
120 g powdered sugar
5 egg yolks, from medium eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
Fruit Layer
500 g black currants, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons potato starch
Meringue
5 egg whites, from medium eggs
200 g superfine sugar
1 teaspoon potato starch
Steps
Chop together the flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, and cold butter. Add the egg yolks and quickly knead into a smooth dough. Divide it into three portions: one larger portion, about half of the total, and two smaller portions. Knead one smaller portion with the cocoa powder until evenly brown.
Flatten the larger light-colored portion and the cocoa portion, wrap them separately, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Wrap the third light-colored portion and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes so it can be grated.
Preheat a conventional oven (no fan) to 180°C. Line a 24 × 24 cm pan with parchment paper. Grate or spread the larger pale dough portion over the bottom and press it down lightly. Mix the currants with the sugar and potato starch; frozen fruit does not need to be thawed.
Bake the base at 180°C for 15 minutes, until lightly set but not starting to brown heavily. Briefly remove the pan to a wire rack, leaving the oven on.
Spread the currants over the parbaked base. Grate the cocoa dough portion over them. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gradually add the sugar and mix until the meringue is thick, glossy, and no sugar crystals can be felt; fold in the potato starch. Spread the meringue over the cocoa layer and grate the frozen light-colored dough portion over the top.
Bake at 180°C for 35 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for 10 minutes more. The top should be light golden, the meringue set, and the center of the cake should not wobble when the pan is gently moved. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Turn off the oven, prop the door open, and cool the cake inside for 20 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes. Slice only when the cake is cold, using a sharp knife and wiping the blade after each piece.
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