Contents
A traditional Romanian dessert made with thin pastry layers and a silky lemon custard cream, topped with coconut flakes. This light and tangy layered cake is perfect for festive occasions like Christmas or Easter, and it's easily adaptable for a dairy-free diet. ❄️🍋
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 550 g all-purpose flour
- 10 tbsp milk (or plant-based milk)
- 10 tbsp vegetable oil
- 10 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 packet baking ammonia (or 1 tsp baking powder)
- Few drops of lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
For the Cream
- 1 liter milk (or plant-based milk)
- 200 g unsalted butter (or plant-based butter)
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 10 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Zest from 1 lemon
- Juice from 1–2 lemons (to taste)
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
To Decorate
- Coconut flakes
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix milk, eggs, sugar, and oil until combined.
- Add lemon juice over the baking ammonia (or baking powder) and stir into the wet mixture.
- Add salt, then gradually incorporate flour until a soft, elastic dough forms.
- Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each into thin rectangular sheets.
- Bake each sheet on baking paper on the back of a tray at 150°C (300°F) for 12–15 minutes. Let cool.
- For the cream, whisk together flour, sugar, and lemon zest in a saucepan.
- Gradually add milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Cook on low heat for 20 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice and vanilla essence. Let cool slightly.
- Add butter in small pieces, whisking gently to incorporate without splitting.
- Line the baking tray with cling film. Layer cake: dough sheet, cream, repeat.
- Finish with cream on top. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.
- Wrap the cake and press with a board and weight (e.g. heavy books).
- Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
The Romanian Layered Lemon Cake, known locally as Prajitura Alba ca Zapada (literally “Snow White Cake”), is a beloved traditional dessert, especially popular during festive holidays such as Christmas and Easter. 🇷🇴✨ This delicate, lemony cake is often a star on Romanian dessert platters, served at the end of celebratory meals alongside other homemade sweets.
Despite the growing popularity of store-bought cake assortments, many Romanians continue to prepare this classic treat at home — and for good reason. Homemade cakes not only evoke warm family memories, but also offer full control over the quality of ingredients. There's simply nothing that compares to the nostalgic taste of Snow White cake made from scratch. 💛
This sounds absolutely divine! The combination of delicate pastry layers and a silky lemon custard is incredibly appealing, especially the mention of its adaptability for a dairy-free diet. My question is, what kind of plant-based milk and butter work best in your experience to achieve the same texture and flavour as the traditional recipe? I’m eager to try this, and knowing your recommendations would be invaluable.