Zserbó Szelet Recept (Hungarian Gerbeaud Cake Recipe)

Zserbó Szelet Recept (Hungarian Gerbeaud Cake Recipe)

Zserbó Szelet is a traditional Hungarian cake with layers of yeasted dough, apricot jam, and walnuts that's topped with a dark chocolate glaze. It blurs the lines between pastry and cake, and is completely irresistible.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword Gerbeaud Cake, Gerbeaud Cake Recipe, Gerbeaud Slice, Zserbo Cake, Zserbó Recept, Zserbo Slice, Zserbó Szelet, Zserbó Szelet Recept

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Rest Time and Chill Time 2 45

Servings servings

Calories 305kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Equipment

Ingredients

Walnut Filling:

Dough:

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
6 1/2 tablespoons warm milk
350 grams all-purpose flour 350 grams all-purpose flour = about 2 3/4 cups
1/4 teaspoon salt
175 grams unsalted butter diced (175 grams butter = about 12 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar or granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk or water
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt

Other:

1 cup apricot jam
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter for the dough bowl and the baking pan

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Walnut Filling:

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until the mixture forms fine crumbs (don’t grind it so much it forms walnut paste though!).

For the Dough:

Add the yeast, sugar, and warm milk to a medium bowl and gently stir to combine. Let it sit at room temperature until puffed and foamy, about 10 minutes (this will activate the yeast).
Meanwhile, add the flour and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until combined (a few small lumps of butter are fine). Add the activated yeast mixture, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla to the food processor. Pulse a few times, and then process until the mixture comes together to form a dough ball, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
Butter the inside of a large bowl. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, roll each piece into a ball, and put the dough balls in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill 15 minutes in the fridge.

To Assemble:

Butter the inside of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish.
Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll it out to an 8-inch square. Carefully pick up the square of dough and place it into the prepared baking dish. Use a fork to poke several holes in the dough (this is called “docking” it and will help prevent bubbles from forming as it bakes). Dollop 1/3 cup of apricot jam on the docked dough, and gently spread it out evenly. Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the walnut filling on top of the jam.
Roll out the second ball of dough the same way, and place it on top of the walnut filling layer in the pan. Dock the dough, spread on 1/3 cup of apricot jam, and evenly sprinkle on 1/3 of the walnut filling. Repeat this layering process with the third ball of dough.
Roll out the fourth ball of dough the same way, and place it on top of the walnut filling layer in the pan. Dock the dough. (You will have a total of 4 layers of dough and 3 layers of apricot jam/walnut filling. The top layer is dough.)

To Bake:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to proof.
Bake the cake (uncovered) until its golden around the outside, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

For the Chocolate Glaze:

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan over low heat and whisk until the mixture is smooth.

To Finish:

Pour the chocolate glaze on top of the cake and spread it out evenly. Let the glaze set before slicing into diamonds, rectangles, or squares.

Notes

Storage: Once the chocolate glaze is set, you can store this cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Instead of cutting the cake into slices all at once, wait to slice it until before you want to serve it. Then let the sliced cake sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
Plan Ahead: This cake is better on the second day than on the first! The flavors marry beautifully, and something magical happens as the pastry absorbs some of the filling. For the best flavor, wait to slice the cake until right before serving.
Slicing Tip: Use a large, sharp knife and between each cut, rinse it with hot water and dry it off completely. You can cut this cake into square, rectangle, or diamond shapes with each piece about 1 to 2 inches.
Recipe Inspiration: These recipes on the following two websites were starting points for me when I was testing this recipe: Zserbo.com and Kitchen Bliss.
Recipe Yield: This recipe makes 1 (8 by 8-inch) pan. I generally cut this cake into 1 to 2-inch pieces (square, rectangle, or diamond-shaped), but you can slice it however you want. I find that this recipe yields about 20 servings (it's rich!).

Nutrition