Plesniak (Polish Moldy Cake)

No, it's not moldy! In fact, it is quite tasty! I recently made this for a fellowship meal, and not a single piece was left. I used cherry pie filling, but this can also be made with apple or prune filling.

Makes 8-12 servings or 1 (13x9-inch) Polish Moldy Cake - Plesniak

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 9 ounces (1 stick + 2 tablespoons) room-temperature butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 (12- to 14-ounce) cans prune or cherry pie filling

Preparation:

1. To make the dough: In a medium bowl, beat together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until thick and lemon-colored. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, butter and vanilla. Then add the egg-yolk mixture and mix thoroughly.
   
   
2. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Mix 1 portion of dough with cocoa powder until well blended. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
   
   
3. To assemble the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Take out one piece of dough and roll it to fit the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the prune or cherry filling evenly over the base of the cake.
   
   
4. Remove the cocoa-flavored dough from the refrigerator and grate it on top of the fruit filling.
   
   
5. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form, and spread on top of the grated cocoa dough.
   
   
6. Remove the last portion of dough from the refrigerator and grate it on top of the egg whites. Bake 40-60 minutes or until egg whites are set and top is golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.

Originally published here.