Karpatka (Polish Carpathian Mountain Cream Cake)
Two layers of golden choux filled with thick buttery custard and dusted with icing sugar to look like snowy mountains.
- Time2 hr plus chilling
- LevelHard
- Costabout £0.54 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a 20 x 30 cm tin with baking paper. Melt the butter with the water and 125 ml milk, boil, then beat in the flour until a ball forms. Cool for 5 minutes.
5 min - 2
Beat in the eggs a little at a time until thick and glossy. Spread half the choux in the tin and bake for 30 minutes without opening the door, until deep golden. Slide out and cool, then repeat with the second half in a fresh lined tin.
30 min - 3
For the cream, whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour with a little of the 600 ml milk. Heat the rest until steaming, whisk in, return to the pan and stir until very thick, 4 minutes. Add the vanilla, cover the surface with cling film and cool completely.
4 min - 4
Beat the soft butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in the cold custard a spoonful at a time until smooth.
- 5
Put one choux layer flat side up in the clean tin and spread over the cream. Place the second layer on top, gently pressing so the surface stays craggy.
- 6
Chill for at least 4 hours. Dust thickly with icing sugar just before serving and cut into squares.
240 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
