ISO: ISO The name of this Polish cake?

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dawnnys

Well-known member
I was wondering if anyone might know what the name of this Polish (Russian?) cake was. Just before Christmas, I went to a European store that sells all sorts of imported food, most of them labeled only in Polish. The clerk at the European shop/deli didn't have any idea what it was; she didn't even know what I was asking! The conversation went like this:

"Could you please tell me what kind of cake this is? (pointing to a similar one next to where the one I bought was, but with a different topping - she said it was cranberry, but sure looked like cherries to me)"

"Creme."

"Okay, but how about the cake part? It's not white, but is it a spice, or yellow cake? See how this one (pointing to the Black Forest cake next to it) is chocolate? What's this one?"

"I don't know. Just creme. Creme vanilla."

"I bought some here the other day that had a raspberry topping (pointing to the one next to it). Is the cake part prune-flavored? Or molasses? It kind of tasted like that. I would get it again if you had it but I see you're out of it, you just have the cranberry one today."

"Same as other one."

(other woman comes over) "You mean crumb part?"

"Yes, what flavor is it?"

"I don't know. We get them."

AGGGHHHH... does anyone know, so I can buy some more someplace else in the future?! It had a deep brown color, but it wasn't chocolate. Kind of tangy, with a savory, sour fruity flavor. It was topped with a raspberry sauce, and it had several layers with creme in between them, maybe 5 or 6 layers.

 
I'm not so much interested in the layers, but rather the "cake" part. It may be

a Dobos torte (but there is no mention of prune/plum). It is probably not Baumkuchen as that is covered in chocolate and baked on a spit!!) - this I found from Googling.

 
Sometimes employees aren't entirely familiar with their inventory. If she was

Russian working in a Polish shop, maybe they don't have that kind of dessert where she's from. Or it may be a regional or a language issue. Who knows? I often ask another customer or another employee. Or I'd get the company info on the label and look up their website. Usually there are photos, the name and a brief description.

I have a Polish cookbook and searched through it. While there are several cakes listed, most are the "snacking" cake variety. None had molasses or prunes. Raisins or currents. Sorry.

Fingers crossed. Maybe Richard or Erin know that cake.

 
Mar and Traca, thanks, but there was no packaging... they cut it from a large cake... funny, she

said that it is sold by the pound, so I asked for about a half-pound and she shouted at me, "Oh, we can't weigh it!!?" So I told her about an inch, and she gave me 3-4 inches.

I think it's a cultural thing, lack of communication due to language barrier, but I don't think they are all that nice, either.

And the only other worker was also foreign and she heard my question but didn't know either. I did ask a customer about something else, the first time I was there, but he didn't know Polish. Maybe I ask too many questions ;o)

 
LOL! Ethnic shopping can be a very "foreign" experience....If I remember right, I believe

two Polish cookbooks were released this year. From a Polish Country House and Authentic Polish Cooking. Perhaps your library could order them? Worth a shot.

 
Thanks Traca, maybe. But I googled using quite a bit of ways, and couldn't find anything close,so I

think it might be a made-up, original recipe, and that's why she didn't know/didn't want to share the flavor(?).

 
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