Zserbó (Hungarian Apricot Layer Cake)
A classic Hungarian pastry with a walnut-shortbread base, apricot jam filling, and chocolate topping. Rich, tangy, and deeply satisfying with a perfect balance of textures.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 whole egg yolk
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup ground walnuts
- ¾ cup apricot jam
- 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- 2
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes of beating.
- 3
Mix in egg yolk until fully combined.
- 4
Stir flour, ground walnuts, and salt together in a bowl until blended.
- 5
Fold flour mixture into butter mixture until a dough forms.
- 6
Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake 12 minutes until golden-brown at edges.
- 7
Spread apricot jam evenly over warm base, leaving a 1/4-inch border.
- 8
Return to oven and bake 10 minutes until jam stops bubbling at edges.
- 9
Heat cream until steaming. Pour over chopped chocolate in a bowl; let sit 2 min.
- 10
Stir chocolate mixture until silky, then spread over warm cake layer.
- 11
Cool at room temperature 30 minutes until chocolate sets, then cut into squares.
Tools you’ll need
- 8×8-inch baking pan
- parchment paper
- mixing bowl
- whisk or electric mixer
- measuring cups and spoons
- rubber spatula
- saucepan
- kitchen thermometer (optional)
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
