Kyiv Cake (Ukrainian Classic)

Sponge Cake

1. Prepare an 11 inch sponge cake. Refer to our famous Sponge Cake recipe.

Meringue

1. Whip egg whites on high speed until they are doubled in volume.
2. Gradually add sugar until well combined.
3. Using a spatula, stir in a circular motion while gently mixing in the hazelnuts.
4. Spread the mixture onto 11 inch baking pan, lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake it at 250°F for 6 hours.

Cream

1. In a small pot, beat egg yolks. Add water and condensed milk, and stir until smooth.
2. Cook all ingredients on very low heat. Continue mixing the cream the entire time to prevent the cream from sticking to corners. Slowly increase the heat, but do not bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the mixture attains the texture of condensed milk, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove the mixture from the heat and add chocolate chips. Allow a few minutes for the mixture to melt, before mixing it through. Let the mixture cool off to room temperature.
4. In a separate bowl, beat butter. Once the butter is fluffy, add the cream mixture to the butter, a few spoonfuls at a time, until fully blended.

Finalizing

1. Using a serrated knife, slice the sponge cake horizontally in half. Cover each layer with jam, excluding the top layer.
2. Place the first layer of sponge cake and cover it with cream, followed by meringue, then again, a layer of cream.
3. Once the cake is put together, frost the sides, then top with the remaining cream and your choice of decoration.