WE BRING you a recipe from an old notebook for a sumptuous cake that will delight all generations. Colorful potica, also known as wasteful potica, combines soft yeast dough, two moist sponge cakes, and a rich cheese and walnut filling, creating the perfect dessert for holidays and special occasions.
Potica is a traditional holiday cake, originating in Slovenia, but deeply rooted in Croatian gastronomic tradition, especially in the northern regions. Although it is most often prepared as a strudel with a filling of walnuts, poppy seeds or cheese, this “wasteful” or “colorful” version is a layered dish, which makes it especially rich and visually impressive. Due to its richness and richness of flavor, it is an ideal choice for festive moments when you want to impress your guests.
The preparation time for this cake is about 90 minutes, and the baking time is an additional 45 minutes. Given the multiple steps, the complexity of the preparation is medium, but the end result is worth every effort. From the ingredients listed, you will get approximately 36 generous slices.
Ingredients
Leavened dough:
- Plain flour
- Oil
- Salt
- Fresh yeast
- Egg yolks
- Milk
- Sugar
Yellow biscuit:
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Sharp flour
- Water
- Baking powder
Dark biscuit:
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Sharp flour
- Water
- Baking powder
- Bitter cocoa
Filling:
- Fresh cheese
- Ground nuts
- Sugar
- Rum
- Grated lemon zest
Preparation
Leavened dough:
Crumble the yeast into the warm milk and sugar and leave to foam at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Place some of the flour in a large bowl, pour in the foamed yeast and add the rest of the dough ingredients. First mix with a spoon to combine the ingredients, then gradually add the rest of the flour and knead into a smooth dough. Leave it covered in a warm place to rise while you prepare the biscuits.
Yellow biscuit:
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the sugar. When you have stiff and shiny whites, gently fold in the egg yolks and the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into a baking tray (approximately 30×40 cm) lined with baking paper. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for about 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick whether the sponge cake is cooked, then cool it.
Dark biscuit:
Repeat the same process as for the yellow sponge cake, adding cocoa to the mixture at the end. Cool the baked sponge cake as well.
Filling:
For the filling, simply mix all the above ingredients into a smooth mixture.
Stacking and baking:
Roll out the risen dough so that it is twice as wide as the baking sheet. Place the dough in the oiled sheet, so that the ends hang over the edges. Spread a third of the filling on the bottom of the dough, then place the yellow sponge cake on top. Spread the other third of the filling on the sponge cake and place the dark sponge cake on top.
Spread with the remaining filling and cover everything with the ends of the risen dough that were hanging outside the tin. Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C for about 45 minutes. After baking, remove the cake from the oven and turn it upside down to level the top. Cut only when it has cooled completely.
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