Hungarian Gerbeaud Cake - Zserbó szelet
Gerbeaud Cake (Zserbó) is a delicious layered yeast cake with an apricot walnut filling, covered in thin chocolate glaze. Traditionally it is a holiday dessert, made at Christmas or Easter time. Gerbeaud cake is probably the best known Hungarian dessert, I grew up eating it all the time.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Baking tin
- Rolling Pin
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Big bowl
Ingredients
For the dough
- 17.6 ounces all purpose flour 500 grams
- 8.8 ounces butter 250 grams
- 0.9 ounces fresh yeast 25 grams
- 1 whole egg
- 2 yolks
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 0.4 cup whole milk 100 ml
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
- 5.3 ounces ground walnuts 150 grams
- 1.8 ounces powdered sugar 50 grams
- 14.1 ounces apricot jam 400 grams
Instructions
- In a saucepan heat milk until lukewarm and dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast.
- In a large bowl mix the flour and the cubed 250g (8,8 ounces) butter by hand. The mixture will be quite crumbly.
- Add the whole egg, 2 egg yolks, the dissolved sugar and yeast mixture, pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Knead thoroughly. Add more flour if necessary.
- Divide the dough into 4 balls, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Butter and flour your baking tin. I used a 16×10 inch (40x25cm) pan.
- On a floured surface roll out one part of the dough to the size of the baking tin, then lay it in.
- Mix the ground walnuts (150g) with the powdered sugar (50g). Spread one third of the apricot jam on the first layer of dough. Sprinkle with third of the walnut-sugar mixture.
- Roll out the second piece of dough. Put the jam on it and sprinkle with walnut-sugar mixture.
- Roll out the third piece of dough. Spread the jam on it and sprinkle with walnut-sugar mixture.
- Roll out the forth layer and place on top.
- Bake the cake for 30 minute, until the top is light-brown. You can test it with a tootpick, if it comes out clean, then the cake is baked. Let it cool completely.
- For the chocolate cover: in a smaller pan melt 100 grams (3,5 ounces or 8 tablespoons) butter, add 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 4 tablespoons of sugar and 4 tablespoons of water and stir until the sugar melts and the mixture thickens. Cover your cake with the chocolate sauce. The butter will make the chocolate have a glassy elegant look. Cut into diamonds and serve.