Karpatka is a classic Polish dessert made with two layers of choux pastry and a rich vanilla cream filling. It’s meant to look rustic and uneven to resemble the Carpathian Mountains.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 25–30 minutes

Servings: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

Choux Pastry

● 1 cup water

● 2 sticks unsalted butter

● 1 cup all purpose flour

● 4 large eggs

Cream Filling

● 1½ cups heavy cream

● 1 large package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding

● 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

To Finish

● Powdered sugar

Preparation

Choux Pastry:

1. Bring water and butter just to a boil.
2. Stir in flour off heat, then cook 3–5 minutes until smooth and glossy.
3. Cool 5 minutes, then add eggs one at a time.
4. Spread into two cake pans (don’t smooth.)
5. Bake at 400°F for 25–30 minutes. Do not open the oven.

Cream Filling:

1. Mix cream and pudding mix, then cook on stove top until thick. Mixture should be thick -almost unpourable.
2. Cool completely with plastic wrap pressed to the surface. You want no air bubbles, this prevents a skin from forming.
3. Whip butter in a separate bowl, then add and whip cooled pudding one spoonful at a time until incorporated.

Assemble:

1. Layer choux, cream, choux.
2. Dust with powdered sugar.

Tips To Use:

● After adding eggs, the dough may look slick and look “wrong”. Keep mixing, it will come together.

● I prefer a hand mixer or whisk for the cream; it’s easier to control and less likely to split than a stand mixer.