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Russian Tea Cake???

post #1 of 13
5/23/11 at 7:50pm
Thread Starter 
http://images55.fotki.com/v268/photos/1/155361/8210433/russianteacakefromRI-vi.jpg

I'm not sure if that picture shows up here or if you have to go there, but it's the key to my question.

I picked up this piece of cake at a small bakery in Rhode Island, and they call it a Russian Tea Cake. It's nothing like the little pecan shortbread balls rolled in powdered sugar with that name, but a multi-colored, rainbow, hippy-trippy-looking cake with 'magical' layering,a nd different frostings, and I can't quite figure out how to do it. I can't even remember clearly the flavors--and I think there were a couple at least, maybe almond and raspberry, or some fruit and nut and vanilla.

Just YUM! And I MUST MAKE IT!!! LOLjavascript:emoticon('icon_twisted.gif')

Please help! icon_smile.gif

Cyn

PS--does it look like some sort of Frankenstein's cake made up of wedges and slices of other cakes all stuck together with buttercream and jelly?
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post #2 of 13
5/23/11 at 9:37pm
Cakes i've seen similar to this you make the cakes and slice to the size you want, then use jam in between the layers and press/let set to seal them together, then frost. I would imagine after they're sealed and set it would be easiest to frost. Flavor possibilities are endless, have fun experimenting!
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post #3 of 13
5/24/11 at 6:08am
Perhaps it is similar to the New Orleans cake called a Russian cake, made with scraps from other cakes.

Do you think it is like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3UoExMxVr4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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post #4 of 13
5/24/11 at 8:00am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakingkat

Cakes i've seen similar to this you make the cakes and slice to the size you want, then use jam in between the layers and press/let set to seal them together, then frost. I would imagine after they're sealed and set it would be easiest to frost. Flavor possibilities are endless, have fun experimenting!



Thanks for the affirmation! I was thinking last night that that was how it came together, and I'm going to try it.

Cyn
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post #5 of 13
5/24/11 at 8:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SecretAgentCakeBaker

Perhaps it is similar to the New Orleans cake called a Russian cake, made with scraps from other cakes.

Do you think it is like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3UoExMxVr4&feature=youtube_gdata_player



This was amazing! I've traced this cake all over the world now, and found two possibilities right here in CakeCentral! This one from New Orleans looks like the missing link between cake and cakeballs! I'm going to try both! The cake I had wasn't so mashed together, just firmly joined, but still very cake-like, so it's a cross between cake and this Russian cake.

Thanks so much!

Cyn
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post #6 of 13
5/24/11 at 8:27am
rowantree,
I am so glad you asked this - never heard of this cake before. You never know what you will learn on CC!
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post #7 of 13
5/26/11 at 12:33pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, I spent a lot of time googling and found several answers, but the one that counts is directly related to the fact that I got it in Rhode Island. It's not the New Orleans Creole cake, but a thing that a few Italian bakers in R.I. apparently came up with to use up day-or-two-old cake. It's layercakes, cupcakes, poundcakes, etc. cut up into slices and cubes and whatever, frosted or not, and placed in a large cakepan pan with a bottom layer of basic sponge cake. The pieces are brushed with raspberry jam before being placed in the pan, then the whole thing is drizzled with rum infused simple syrup, sometimes with a little anise extract added, then a top layer of sponge is laid on, and plastic wrap, and some weights are places to press and bind the whole thing together. It's chilled overnight, then frosted with chocolate buttercream and cut into slices, with the colored layers showing of whatever cakes they put in.

The place I got mine from apparently makes a rainbow cake that happened to end up in this slice. It was so yummy!! Now I'm going to try one--I'll have to make a few cakes to manage it, but it's worth it! If it works out, I'll bring the sample to work, and maybe we can use it there to use up all the cake tops I've been saving for cakeballs! LOL

If you try it, take a picture and post it here and lets all share!
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post #8 of 13
11/26/11 at 7:08pm
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1718,154161-255205,00.html

As a RI native, Russian Tea Cakes are one of the special delights we have that can't be found anywhere else. One reason for moving back home!

As you can see from the recipe linked above, the cake should be made fresh - - but most bakeries include more colors - - yellow, green, red, white, and often a dark plum or chocolate color - - not flavor. The raspberry preserves are used only to seal the outer shells from soaking up too much of the rum in which the pieces that are being melded were soaked.

This recipe is the closest I could imagine to accurately replicating what we get in our bakeries. Enjoy! icon_biggrin.gif
Mary
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Mary
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post #9 of 13
11/27/11 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
WooHoo! That's so much more like it! Thanks so much! I'm going to make one this week--using my scratch poundcake recipe.

Lizsmom--you've made my day!!!
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post #10 of 13
11/30/11 at 9:37am
This looks like fun! Thanks for giving me a new thing to try!

The Dude abides.

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The Dude abides.

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post #11 of 13
1/29/13 at 4:01pm
I just love those Russian tea cakes!!! I am a Rhode Islander. My mom worked in a bakery called the crown sweet shoppe, when I was a little girl. She often brought home these sweet colored russian tea cakes to my delight. I found you ladies and cake central from googling russian tea cakes. Thank you for the memories and for reminding me how special
Rhode Island is icon_smile.gif
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post #12 of 13
1/30/13 at 10:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rowantree View Post

Ok, I spent a lot of time googling and found several answers, but the one that counts is directly related to the fact that I got it in Rhode Island. It's not the New Orleans Creole cake, but a thing that a few Italian bakers in R.I. apparently came up with to use up day-or-two-old cake. It's layercakes, cupcakes, poundcakes, etc. cut up into slices and cubes and whatever, frosted or not, and placed in a large cakepan pan with a bottom layer of basic sponge cake. The pieces are brushed with raspberry jam before being placed in the pan, then the whole thing is drizzled with rum infused simple syrup, sometimes with a little anise extract added, then a top layer of sponge is laid on, and plastic wrap, and some weights are places to press and bind the whole thing together. It's chilled overnight, then frosted with chocolate buttercream and cut into slices, with the colored layers showing of whatever cakes they put in.

Every cookbook on Viennese pastry that I have ever owner or read has a recipe for "Punschtorte" which uses pieces of cake with a rum+jam flavoured cooked sugar syrup for the filling.  Same slices of sponge cake top and bottom, same use of stale cake for filling, same compression in the fridge to bind the whole thing.

 

In Vienna they ice this with a pink rum glaze to tell you what kind of cake it is inside. Sounds like it came to North America with a Tyrolese baker. There are also plenty of recipes from Italian bakeries available for "rainbow cake" or "rainbow cookies" which is actually cake.  I will remember to try this cross cultural recipe fusion myself.

 

And in Vienna, "Russische Punschtorte" has custard filling and meringue covering.

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post #13 of 13
2/2/13 at 7:43am

Hello Guys Russian tea desserts have a relatively simple recipe,usually composed entirely of floor almonds, flour and water or, more usually, butter. After cooking, they are covered in powder glucose while still hot, then again once the cookie has chilled.Thanks!!

orange county gym

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orange county gym

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