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Russian sponge nut slices
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Russian sponge nut slices

These Russian sponge nut slices with butter cream taste incredibly delicious – nutty, moist, creamy, fluffy. They date back to the Soviet era and were one of the most popular pastries back then. According to this recipe, you can make the nut slices yourself. It's pretty easy, and you only need a few common ingredients.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Russian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling time 3 hours
Servings 8 slices

Equipment

  • 24 cm x 24 cm square springform pan

Ingredients

for the dough

  • 5 eggs
  • 150 g sugar
  • 125 g flour
  • 30 g any nuts (roasted and finely chopped)
  • vanilla
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • butter to grease the baking pan

for the cream

  • 200 g butter (room temperature)
  • 100 ml milk
  • 135 g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 35 g any nuts (roasted and finely chopped)
  • vanilla
  • 1 tbsp rum or cognac (room temperature)

for the sugar syrup

  • 90 ml water
  • 70 g sugar
  • 1 tbsp rum or cognac

for sprinkling

  • 70 g any nuts (roasted and finely chopped)

Instructions

Making the dough

  • Line the bottom of the square springform pan with baking paper and grease the sides with butter.
  • Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until you have a fluffy white mixture.
  • Mix flour with nuts and fold into the egg-sugar mixture to make a fluffy, thick batter.
  • Pour the nut sponge mixture into the baking pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C top and bottom heat for about 20 minutes. Allow the nut sponge cake to cool and then store in an airtight container overnight.

Making the sugar syrup

  • Put sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil while stirring constantly, and take it off the heat. Let the sugar syrup cool down.
  • Add rum or cognac and stir it.

Making the cream

  • Mix egg and milk in a thick-bottomed saucepan.
  • Add sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Then continue to cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes until it has thickened a bit. Then let the milk syrup cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  • Beat softened butter for about 4 - 5 minutes until fluffy and creamy.
  • Add the vanilla and the milk syrup in portions and whip each time to a homogeneous cream.
  • Add rum or cognac and whip again briefly to a homogeneous cream.
  • Stir the nuts into the cream.

Making the nut slices

  • Cut the sponge lengthwise into two cake layers, soak them each from one side with the sugar syrup and let them dry for about 10 minutes.
  • Spread the two cake layers evenly with the cream and stack them on top of each other.
  • Sprinkle the top of the cake with nuts and chill for at least 3 hours to allow the cream to set and the cake to set through.
  • Cut off about 0.5 cm thick border from all sides of the cake (it doesn't look that pretty, but it tastes delicious, so you shouldn't throw it away) and cut the cake into 8 slices (each 10 cm x 5 cm in size in my case).

Notes

  • To check if the nut sponge cake is done baking, use a toothpick. Alternatively, use a finger to gently press on the surface of the sponge about halfway down. If it springs back after pressing, and no marks remain, it is done.
  • Both butter and the milk syrup and alcohol need to be room-warm and all about the same temperature when whipped together to make the cream, so they can combine well.
  • You can simply omit alcohol for the cream and sugar syrup, or use something else for flavoring instead.
  • Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the Russian sponge nut slices at the top of the post.