As autumn begins in New York, bakers are turning on their ovens again. This week, the BA Bake Club podcast focused on karpatka, a traditional Polish cream puff cake. Hosts Jesse and Shilpa spoke with Ruby Bhogal, a baker known for her technical skill, about the fundamentals behind the dessert.
Karpatka, sometimes called 'Polish mountain cake' for its craggy choux crust, is layered with pastry cream. Bhogal described how seasonal plums can be used to update the classic filling. The conversation also covered the importance of understanding basic techniques such as tempering eggs and achieving the right dough texture.
Listeners heard about the challenges of baking karpatka in home kitchens. Bhogal noted that New York’s humidity can affect choux pastry, especially in smaller apartments. She encouraged home bakers to work with what’s available at local greenmarkets, where Italian plums are in abundance this week.
The episode arrives as local bakeries begin to feature more Eastern European pastries. At Polish bakeries in Greenpoint, similar cakes are appearing in display cases. With school back in session and cooler weather settling in, more New Yorkers may attempt the recipe at home.