Dobryninsky cake: Modern dessert from a historical Russian bakery (RECIPE)

When I lived in Moscow, in the early 2000s, I used to buy desserts from the Dobryninsky pastry factory in a small shop near our house. My favorites were small shortcrust cups with jam and meringue cream on top, "korzinochki". Don't ask how many I’ve eaten. They were literally melting in my mouth. 

Once, when these popular tartlets sold out, the lady in the shop suggested that I should buy a cake which tasted very similar. I saw a snow-white cloud of nicely shaped cream with a drop of jam on top. The sides of the cake were decorated with crushed cookie dough. 

That was Dobryninsky cake, named after one of Russia’s oldest and most famous bakeries. More than 100 years later, this pastry factory still holds faithfully to its traditions. Nowadays, it has a wide range of desserts that are popular not only among leading local retailers but also abroad. 

Why do I like it so much? Because of its amazing structure, with three delicate crusts and airy meringue cream. Sounds too sweet, doesn't it? Here comes the secret ingredient, cranberry jam. Since it’s sour, the jam gives a gorgeous flare and balances the taste of the cake perfectly. To make this cake seasonal I used black currant, which is evenly acidic and even more fragrant. 

Ingredients: 

Dough (18 cm form):

• Flour - 240 g
• Butter – 145 g
• Eggs - 1 pc
• Powdered sugar - 100 g
• Salt - 1/2 sp
• Baking powder - 1 tsp 

Cream:

• Egg whites (pasteurized)- 100 g
• Sugar - 200 g
• Water – 60 ml
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp 

• Black currant jam – 100 (150) g 

Preparation: 

1. Mix butter and powdered sugar into a smooth cream, add an egg and stir the mass.

2. Add flour and baking powder and knead the dough.

3. Divide the dough into three parts.

4. Cover each piece with the film, flatten each and put in a freezer for 20 minutes.

5. Roll the pieces on a sheet of baking paper into circles with a diameter of more than 18 cm.

6. Bake the cakes for about 15 minutes.

7. While the crusts are hot, cut them using a template to a diameter of 18 cm.

8. Save the cuttings, cool the crusts completely.

9. For meringue cream, mix water with sugar, bring it to a boil while stirring and cook it to a temperature of 120°C. 

10. While the syrup is cooking, beat the whites into a firm, thick foam, and then pour in a thin stream of hot syrup, without stopping to whip. Add lemon juice to the whites and beat until the mass becomes thick and slightly stringy.

11. Mix 200 g of the beaten white cream with black currant jam to get berry cream. Set aside a teaspoon of jam for decoration.

12. Put the remaining meringue in a cornet with a nozzle.

13. Spread the bottom crust with berry cream, cover with a medium crust, and grease it.

14. Crush the cuttings from the cakes.

15. Coat the sides with some cream and sprinkle with the resulting crumb.

16. Decorate the top with meringue cream; put a spoon of jam in the middle.

17. Sprinkle the cake with icing sugar.

18. Enjoy! 

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