Ladies' Whim

Ladies’ Whim is an old Hungarian recipe “női szeszély”, which was very popular decades ago. In my grandmother's recipe notebook, I have a few versions. It was and is also popular all around Eastern Europe with names like “damin kapric” or “damin ćef” or “damina nature”.

The origin of the name is unknown, but the different versions that float around may suggest that the ingredients women used to make this cake depended on their actual (whimsical) mood. The most varied part of this pastry is the base, some recipes call for a yeasted dough, while others make it with a sponge batter.

The cake is very easy to make - ready to eat in 45 minutes. A light short-crust dough, a layer of raspberry jam with a topping of meringue. And it is the favorite cake of my husband.

Ingredients

140g butter (soft)

140g flour (all-purpose)

80g sugar

100g hazelnuts (roasted and ground)

1 egg yolk

4 egg whites

80g confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup raspberry jam

Instructions

1. Mix butter, flour, sugar and nuts until becomes crumbly, add 1 egg yolk and knead to a ball

2. Roll out into a 9 x 9” (22 x 22cm) baking pan lined with parchment paper bake in a preheated oven of 350F° (180C°) for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

3. Remove from oven and let it cool slightly then spread on raspberry jam

4. Beat 3 egg whites with vanilla until it forms peaks, add the confectioners’ sugar, and beat until stiff and shiny

5. Spoon the beaten egg whites on top of the cake and bake again in 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly brown, about 15 minutes

6. Cut into squares with a sharp knife, while hot