Pasca - Romanian Easter Bread - Where Is My Spoon

romanian cheesecake for Easter sliced on a platter.

5 from 13 votes

Pasca - Romanian Easter Bread

Pasca is a traditional Romanian Easter cheesecake or Easter bread. A sweet yeast dough filled with a smooth cheese and raisins filling.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Total Time1 45

Course: Romanian Cakes and Desserts

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: slices

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

springform about 26 cm/ 10 inch
Stand mixer or mixer with kneading attachments

Ingredients

Yeast dough:

1 vanilla pod
250 ml milk 8.5 fl.oz/ 1 cup + 2-3 tablespoons more if necessary
1 sachet active dry yeast 7 g/ 0.2 oz/ 2.5 teaspoons
500 g all-purpose flour 4 ¼ cups
120 g granulated sugar ½ cup
55 g unsalted butter ¼ cup
50 ml vegetable oil scant ¼ cups
2 egg yolks
zest of 1 organic lemon
a pinch of fine sea salt

Filling:

400 g Romanian cow's cheese / low-fat quark/ cottage cheese/farmer's cheese, 2 cups, Note 2
2 eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar more to taste
100 g raisins ½ cup
3 tablespoons semolina
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 organic lemon
1 small egg for brushing
some sugar to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Yeast dough:

Prepare vanilla milk: Scrape the seeds of the vanilla pod. Set aside. Add the empty pod to the milk and bring to a boil. Leave to cool until lukewarm.
1 vanilla pod + 250 ml milk/ 1 cup
Proof yeast: Place the dry yeast in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and 3-4 tablespoons of the lukewarm milk, enough to stir a paste. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 10-15 minutes in a warm place.
1 sachet active dry yeast
Sieve: In the meantime, sieve the flour in the bowl of your kitchen machine/stand mixer.
500 g all-purpose flour/ 4¼ cups
Combine: Add the remaining sugar to the remaining lukewarm milk and stir until dissolved. Melt the butter, add the oil to the butter, and mix. Leave to cool until needed.
120 g granulated sugar/ ½ cup + 55 g unsalted butter/ ¼ cup + 50 ml vegetable oil/ ¼ cup
Stir: Pour the yeast mixture over the flour, add the egg yolks, vanilla seeds, and lemon zest. Mix shortly, then start adding the milk little by little to form the dough. Stir for a couple of minutes and add a little more milk if necessary to obtain a softer dough. I added about 3 tablespoons more.
Add the salt and, little by little, the melted and cooled butter oil mixture. Only add the next splash when the previous one is completely incorporated.
2 egg yolks + zest of 1 organic lemon + a pinch of fine sea salt
Knead the dough in the stand mixer for about 10 minutes. The dough will be pretty soft and sticky. Transfer it to a clean bowl and bring it briefly in shape with the hands. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Filling:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Butter the springform and cover its bottom and walls with baking paper.
Blend: If using cottage or farmer's cheese, blend it with an immersion blender until smooth.
400 g Romanian cow's cheese/ 2 cups
Mix the cheese, eggs, semolina, raisins, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Taste and add more sugar if you find it necessary.
2 eggs + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar + 100 g raisins/ ½ cup + 3 tablespoons semolina + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + zest of 1 organic lemon

Assemble:

Make the plait: Oil your hands lightly and take the dough out of the bowl. Divide it in two.
Form one half into a fat sausage and cut this sausage into 3 parts. Roll each of these balls into long, thin strings about 40 cm/ 15 inches long. Plait these strings into a braid.
Assemble: Take the other half of the dough and place it in the springform. Press it down to cover the bottom of the pan completely. Prick it with a fork all over to ensure that the dough will not rise too much in the oven.
Take the plait and place it in the pan to form a nice rim. Pour the filling inside.
Egg wash: Brush the top of the plait with the whisked egg and sprinkle with a bit of sugar.
1 small egg + some sugar
Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until the cheesecake has nicely risen and is golden.

Notes

Scale: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
Cheese: Traditionally, you will use Romanian branza de vaci – cow's cheese. However, low-fat quark, cottage, or farmer's cheese are very similar. If using cottage or farmer's cheese, blend it until smooth before making the filling.

Nutrition