Czech Bublanina

This light and fluffy Czech Bublanina cake is easy to make and bursting with cherries, making it an ideal weekday or special occasion cake. This is known local as bubble cake due to the appearance of the fruit poking through the top of the sponge like texture.

Ingredients and substitutions for Czech Bublanina

• Butter: Butter must be room temperature here to create the nice and fluffy base of the sponge cake which allows more air to be whipped up and help the sugar begin dissolving. Unsalted was used as this is fresher than salted, however, you could absolutely use salted butter here.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives our cake it’s sweetness without overly flavoring the cake allowing the vanilla to shine. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor. Icing or confectioner’s sugar is best here because it dissolves into the egg whites due to it’s incredibly fine texture.
• Plain flour: You don't need much and don't want to overwork the batter so you have a nice fine sponge texture.
• Baking powder: This helps our cake rise so to create the nice light crumb and avoid a dense cake. Baking powder can expire, so it's best to check the best before date, particularly if yours has been open for some time.
• Eggs: The eggs need to be room temperature here to bind with the butter and sugar as room temperature eggs allow more air into them giving our sponge that nice and light texture.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract acts as a flavor enhancer in the cake, without it we wouldn't have depth of flavor when we bite into the cake.
• Cherries: Fresh sweet cherries were used here, though sour cherries, blueberries or even strawberries are all commonly found in Bublanina’s. You can replace the fresh fruit with jarred or canned, though you’ll need to fully drain before adding to the cake. Frozen would also work, though it best to defrost and drain before adding to the cake, otherwise the result might be a soggy cake.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Czech Bublanina:

Step 1: Prepare your tin: Grease your baking tin and sprinkle over a little flour to coat the tin, tap to remove excess.

Step 2: Whip: The butter, sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.

Step 3: Each egg yolk: Add 1 egg yolk at a time and whip until combined.

Step 4: Whip: The egg whites and sugar until stiff.

Step 5: Fold: The egg yolk batter into the meringue in portions until smooth, but still fluffy.

Step 6: Dries: Stir the dry ingredients in a small bowl and then toss into the batter.

Step 7: Pour and press: Pour the batter into your cake tin and press the cherries or other fruit into the batter with a little poking out the top.

Step 8: Bake: Until golden.

Step 9: Cool: Fully before sprinkling with powdered sugar.

Step 10: Serve: Slice up and dig in!

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Czech Bublanina

Sylvie Taylor

Known locally as bubble cake, this sponge like fruit cake is the kind of snack cake that can be served for both informal or special occasions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Czech

Servings 16

Calories 295 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 100 grams / 3.5 ounces butter room temperature
• 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 330 grams / 6 large eggs room temperature and separated
• 350 grams / 2 ¼ cups - 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 50 grams / ½ cup confectioner’s/icing sugar
• 6 grams / 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 400 grams / 14 ounces fresh cherries pitted

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 160C/320F and line the base of a baking tin with baking paper.
• Grease with a little butter and toss in 1 tablespoon of the flour. Tap the tin to remove any excess.
• Toss the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a large bowl and whip until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
• Add 1 egg yolk and whip until combined.
• Repeat with each egg yolk, combining after each addition. Set aside.
• Toss the egg whites and icing sugar in a separate bowl and whip until stiff.
• Add ⅓ of the meringue to the egg yolk batter and fold slowly until combined.
• Repeat with a further ⅓ of the meringue mixture, until your batter is smooth.
• In a small bowl, stir the flour and baking powder together.
• Toss the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir slowly until no dry portions remain.
• Pour into your prepared tin and smooth out.
• Press the cherries into your batter until only the tops of the fruit are visible.
• Bake until it’s lightly golden, approximately 40 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool fully.
• Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Eggs: The eggs need to be room temperature here to bind with the butter and sugar as room temperature eggs allow more air into them giving our sponge that nice and light texture.
• Cherries: Fresh sweet cherries were used here, though sour cherries, blueberries or even strawberries are all commonly found in Bublanina’s. You can replace the fresh fruit with jarred or canned, though you’ll need to fully drain before adding to the cake. Frozen would also work, though it best to defrost and drain before adding to the cake, otherwise the result might be a soggy cake.
• Square tin: A 25×25 cm or 10×10 inch square baking tin works well here, though a rectangle tin of similar size would also work well.

Adapted from Taste Atlas

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal

Keyword cake, stone fruit

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