Abkhazia

I’m starting my long cake journey with a country I had not heard of before – Abkhazia. It goes first in alphabetical order on Wikipedia. Abkhazia is partially recognized, because Russia recognizes it as an independent state, but Georgia claims it’s an occupied territory by the Russians. In fact, Abkhazia was until recently part of Georgia. All these facts make it difficult to choose a typical cake, originating from a country that is only 10 years old, and I guess what I chose to make can be counted for a Georgian cake. I really don’t have much choice, because the traditional Abkhazian desserts are merely fresh or dried fruits, walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, pathoc, beets cooked in honey; candy (alaharoua), adjangju, tatars (acclimus), boiled pumpkin, corn and others. Sadly, they do not have their native pastries, but probably they live much healthier with such a menu.

My Abkhazian choice is a delicate cake with the wonderful name “From Bird – Milk”. I translated the name this way because it is in harmony with the taste of this pastry. Multi-layer juicy cakes are an integral part of the typical holiday table in Abkhazia. Every home has its own custom recipe for their preparation. Confectionery in Georgia, and in particular in Abkhazia, imitates French sweet masterpieces, but the desserts here are rich in taste and significantly larger in size. Today my beloved niece has a birthday and this cake is my compliment to her. It’s nice to start such a festive day with a cake, prepared for such a wonderful occasion.

• 

Ingredients:

800 grams of flour
5 eggs
1.5 glasses of sugar
3 tablespoonfuls of honey
100 grams of softened butter
1 teaspoonful of soda slaked by vinegar
1.5 tablespoonfuls of cocoa powder
For hard sauce:
1.5 liters of cream (35%)
250 grams of sugar powder
1 can of condensed milk
a pinch of vanillin
3 packs (125 grams each) of yogurt
200 grams of dark chocolate

Preparation:

To prepare the dough separate the whites from the yolks. The whites are to be put in the mixer and mixed in solid foam. While whisking, sprinkle in sugar, add the yolks and bring the mixture to the splendor and density.
Add honey, melted butter, vinegar, slaked soda, 200 grams of flour and mix it all together.
Place the container with the resulting mass in a water bath and, stirring constantly, prepare for 40 minutes. Then stir the cocoa mass and keep the container on a water bath for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in the remaining flour and knead the soft, tender dough.
Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll them into very thin rectangular layers.
Put each layer to the maximally preheated oven (220 degrees celsius) for 5-7 minutes. Later allow them to cool.

For the hard sauce mix the cream in a thick fluffy mass, add powdered sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, yogurt and mix it all with a whisk.
Carefully put the hard sauce on the layers and put them on each other (top cake should also be coated). Melt chocolate on a water bath.
Trim the edges of the layers with a knife to give the cake its shape. Pour the melted chocolate on the cake and serve.

• 

Next destination – Australia.

•