Tender Apricot Jam Cake

5 from 7 votes

This traditional Romanian apricot jam cake, Prajitura Razuita, is tender, crumbly, and melt-in-your-mouth - an easy, irresistible dessert.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 417kcal

Author: Adina

Preheat the oven to 320°F/ 160°C. Grease the baking dish with a little butter.
Separate the 3 eggs. Set the egg whites aside to make the filling of the cake.
Cream the lard: Place the lard, the egg yolks, the whole egg, and sugar in a bowl and mix until pale and fluffy.
1⅛ cup lard + ¾ cup granulated sugar + 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
Make the cake dough: Mix flour with baking powder and salt, then fold it into the egg mixture until just combined - don’t overmix. Take about one-third of the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze it while you prepare the rest.
4 cups all-purpose flour + 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder +a pinch of salt
Prepare the bottom layer: Break the remaining dough into pieces and place them in the prepared baking dish. Press the pieces evenly with your fingers to cover the bottom and slightly up the sides, forming a uniform base.

Beat the egg whites: Clean the beaters of the mixer very thoroughly before beating the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
3 egg whites + ½ cup granulated sugar
Fold in the ground walnuts and the stirred jam.
1⅓ cup ground walnuts + 1¼ cup apricot jam

Spread the jam mixture over the dough layer in the baking dish and level it.
Grate the crumbles: Take the remaining dough out of the freezer and grate it evenly over the cake. Use the coarse shredder on your box grater.
Bake the jam cake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and cut into squares.

Bake the apricot jam cake a day in advance - this allows it to set, making it less fragile and easier to slice.
Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it guarantees the best results.
Lard: Use high-quality leaf lard from the pig’s loin for a neutral taste and tender, crumbly texture.
Replace lard with 1:1 vegetable shortening - slightly denser, but still tender and delicious.