Last-minute delight: Quick stefanka with semolina cream
A quick cake layered with semolina cream is sure to surprise your guests who announced their visit at the last minute. It's a dessert that makes an impression, yet doesn't require much work. I already know how to make a delicious stefanka in 30 minutes.
Traditional stefanka comes in two versions – with either a sponge cake or honey cookie layers. Both variants require baking. The latter may even require baking multiple times. If everything goes well, the result is delicious. If you don't have time, skip the unnecessary stress and make the cake with graham crackers.
Stefanka – the secret of delicious cream
The immense popularity of mascarpone-based cream has made many people forget about the traditional way to make a delicious cake filling. That's a pity because it's much healthier than whipped cream and so tasty that it's hard to resist eating it straight from the bowl.
I'm talking about semolina cream. To make it, you need:
- 4 tablespoons of semolina,
- 2 cups (500 mL) of milk,
- about 115 grams of sugar,
- 1 package of vanilla sugar,
- about 200 grams of butter.
Preparation
- Heat the milk with semolina, stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency of a very thick pudding. Set aside to cool.
- Take the butter out of the fridge to warm up to room temperature. Beat it with regular and vanilla sugar using a mixer.
- Then, spoon by spoon, add the cooled semolina. Mix it with the beaten butter until you achieve a creamy consistency.
How to make a quick stefanka with graham crackers?
To make a large tray of stefanka, you need:
- 50 graham crackers,
- semolina cream,
- about 200 grams of plum preserves,
- chocolate glaze.
Preparation
- Line a tray with parchment paper. Place a layer of graham crackers on the bottom and cover them with half the plum preserves.
- Spread half of the semolina cream on the preserves.
- Next, place another layer of graham crackers, preserves, and cream.
- Cover the cake with graham crackers and pour melted dark chocolate over it.
Dark chocolate glaze that always works
According to the traditional recipe, the glaze for stefanka is made from cocoa, butter, milk, and sugar. However, I opt for a much simpler solution. I melt dark chocolate in a water bath and add a few tablespoons of heavy cream. Stir until the ingredients combine for a smooth, cohesive consistency. I apply this glaze on the prepared stefanka with graham crackers. It sets in just 5 minutes.
