Perekladanets (Ukrainian Christmas Cake) Recipe

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 01/12/23
Ukrainian Christmas cake perekladanets recipe

The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Rising time: 90 mins
Total: 3 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
410 Calories
20g Fat
51g Carbs
12g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 410
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 74mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 19%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Protein 12g
Calcium 306mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Ukrainian Christmas cake recipe is known as perekladanets and, despite its name, is served year-round. Because it's a little time-consuming to make, it's usually served for special occasions.

The name perekladanets comes from the Ukrainian word for "to layer" and refers to the four thin layers of sweet yeast dough with various fillings like poppy seed, date, apricot, walnut or just cinnamon-sugar. This recipe calls for poppy seed, walnut, and date. This cake is similar to Russian Torte, except the latter is made with three layers of dough and a meringue top.

Ingredients

  • For the Sweet Yeast Dough (Zdobne Drizhdzhove Tisto):
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • 1/4 cup water (lukewarm)
  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter3/4 cup scalded milk (still hot)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • For the Poppy Seed Filling (Nachinka z Maku):
  • 1/2 pound poppy seeds (ground with a spice grinder)
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice)
  • Optional: zest of 1 lemon or orange
  • For the Date Filling (Nachinka z Daktiliv):
  • 2 packages/16 ounces dates (pitted, chopped)
  • 1 1/2 cups apricot preserves
  • For the Walnut Filling (Nachinka z Voloskikh Horikhiv):
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 pound walnuts (ground, not chopped, in a food processor)
  • For the Egg Wash:
  • 1 large egg (beaten with 1 teaspoon milk)

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the dough ingredients.

  2. Stir together the yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water in a small bowl. Let the yeast bloom until bubbly, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add the butter to the hot milk and stir until melted. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and let the mixture cool to lukewarm (no hotter than 110 degrees).

  4. Beat the eggs in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until thick, a few minutes. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and the milk-butter mixture and mix briefly to combine.

  5. Add the yeast mixture and beat well to combine. Add the salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until incorporated. Add the remaining 2 cups flour and mix in until moistened. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be sticky.

  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap or a linen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Make the Fillings and Assemble the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Ukrainian Christmas cake
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  2. Make the poppyseed filling. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

    Make the poppyseed filling
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  3. Gradually beat in the sugar.

    Gradually beat in sugar into bowl
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  4. Add vanilla or juice and zest if using.

    Add vanilla or juice
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic 

  5. Fold in ground poppy seeds.

    Fold in poppy seeds
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  6. Make the date filling. In a medium bowl, stir together the dates and apricot preserves.

    Mix filling
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  7. Make the walnut filling. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.

    Make the walnut filling with hand mixer
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  8. Gradually beat in the sugar.

    Gradually beat in sugar
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  9. Add vanilla and fold in the ground walnuts.

    Add vanilla
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  10. Assemble the cake. Divide the risen yeast dough into four equal pieces.

    Split dough into four
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic 

  11. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a thin rectangle as large as you can—anywhere from 13 x 9 inches to 18 x 13 inches—and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

    Roll dough into a rectangle
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  12. Spread the poppy seed filling to within 1/2 inch on all sides.

    Poppy seed filling with dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  13. Roll the second piece of dough to the same size as the first and place on top of the poppy seed filling.

    Roll out dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  14. Spread on the date filling, same as before, to within 1/2 inch on all sides.

    Spread out date filling
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  15. Roll out the third piece of dough to the same size as the first and place on top of the date filling.

    Roll out dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  16. Spread on the walnut filling, same as before, to within 1/2 inch on all sides.

    Spread out filling
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic 

  17. Roll out the final piece of dough about 1 inch larger on all sides than the others. Place on top of the walnut filling, pressing the edges together and turning them under so no filling escapes.

    Roll out piece of dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  18. Cover with a lint-free towel and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. It will only rise a little.

    Cover with a lint free towel
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic 

  19. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prick the cake all over with a fork and brush with egg wash.

    Prick the dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  20. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil.

    Bake dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  21. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

    Cool dough
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  22. When cool, wrap in foil and place in the refrigerator. A cold cake makes cutting into squares or diamonds much easier. Some cooks dust the cake with confectioners' sugar.

    Cover dough in foil
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

  23. Serve and enjoy!

    Ukrainian Christmas cake recipe
    The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

Tips

  • Make sure your yeast is alive before adding it to the dough. The yeast and water mixture should foam. Store yeast in the freezer to extend its shelf life.
  • Whipping the egg whites part of the way then adding the sugar bit by bit ensures a more stable foam that won't deflate as readily.
  • When you add the sugar to the egg whites, add it tablespoon by tablespoon, allowing each tablespoon to be incorporated before adding the next. Adding the sugar all at once can cause the meringue to deflate.
  • Don't forget to poke holes in the top dough layer before baking. This prevents air bubbles from expanding the dough during baking. If you do forget, it's not the end of the world, but your cake may have an uneven top.

How to Store

Store slices in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. Alternatively, wrap slices individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Let the cake thaw overnight at room temperature.