Romanian Greta Garbo Cake

4.50 from 2 votes

Learn to make the Romanian Greta Garbo cake, an old-fashioned recipe featuring layers of yeast dough, jam, and ground walnuts.

Prep Time1 15

Cook Time1

Total Time2 15

Course: Sweets

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: squares

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Adina

Proof yeast: Crumble the fresh yeast and mix it with the sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer or another mixing bowl. Stir well and leave to stand for about 5 minutes or until the yeast is liquid (Note 2). If using instant yeast, mix it with the flour and combine all ingredients for the dough. Proceed with the recipe as instructed above.
30 g fresh yeast / 1 oz + 100 g granulated sugar/ ½ cup
Add wet ingredients: Add the soft butter and stir well. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition. Add the smetana, salt, and lemon zest and mix well.
200 g unsalted butter/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 eggs + 200 g smetana / 1 ⅔ cup + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + zest of 1 lemon
Knead dough: Add almost all the flour, setting about 2 tablespoons aside. Knead briefly until the mixture is smooth, but don't overdo it; this dough is not supposed to be kneaded too long.
550 g all-purpose flour/ 4 ⅔ cups
Form a dough ball: Sprinkle the working surface with a little bit of the flour you set aside and turn the dough onto it. Knead shortly and form a ball of dough. If the dough sticks too much to your hands, add another tablespoon or so of flour, but not too much. Whether you have to add more flour or not depends on the size of the eggs.
Let the dough rise: Place it in a bowl, cover it with a cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 15-20 minutes.

Roll the dough: Sprinkle the working surface with a little flour. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Take one part and shape it into a rectangle with your hands. Roll it to fit into the baking dish. Place it in the dish (you don't have to butter the dish).
Layer cake: Spread ⅓ of the jam on top of the first dough layer. Sprinkle it evenly with ⅓ of the ground walnuts and ⅓ of the sugar.
450 g jam / 1 lb + ⅓ of 250 g ground walnuts/ 2 cups + ⅓ of 150 g granulated sugar/ ¾ cup
Repeat with the remaining dough balls, jam, and sugar, closing with the last layer of dough.
Let rise: Cover the dish with a kitchen cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F.
Bake: Place the cake in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 180°C/ 360°F and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through.
Check the cake after 30 minutes or so and cover it loosely with aluminum foil if the top is already too deeply colored.
Cool cake: Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the baking dish. When cool, prepare the ganache.

Chop the white chocolate very finely or process it to fine crumbs in the food processor. It is important that the chocolate is finely chopped; this way it will melt quicker and better when mixed with the hot heavy cream. Place it in a small bowl.
170 g white chocolate/ 6 oz
Heat the heavy cream in a small pan until it comes to a boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir well with a spoon until the mixture is smooth. Pour and spread over the cake. Let it set well.
80 ml heavy cream/ ⅓ cup
Cut Greta Garbo cake into small rectangles and serve.

Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
Yeast: If using active dry yeast, activate it in the same way. If using instant dry yeast, mix it well with the flour and the sugar before adding any wet ingredients.