Rakoczi Curd Cheese Cake -Special /Rákóczi-Túrós

I already made this Hungarian speciality(the original is here), named after a Hungarian mater pastry chef János Rákóczi. It is well famous all over the world and Hungary (whichever party shop you go in Hungary, you will find this dessert among many others). It made up from several layers: biscuit like bottom pasty, curd cheese, apricot and soft meringue. This time I adapted this recipe for my new baking pan: the 8 slice cake moulds.

Rákóczi-túrós in Zila Cake Mould

For the base

250 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

120 g butter

120 g sugar

1 egg yolk

1 dl soured cream

1 tbsp lemon zest

For the curd cheese filling

2 eggs+1 extra egg yolk

500 g curd cheese/Quark *more on this at the Tricks and Recommendations

120 g sugar

50 g semolina

1-2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 vanilla pod

For the filling

apricot jam

tinned/fresh apricot

For the meringue

2 egg whites

80 g icing sugar 

Shift the flour and the baking powder together in a bowl, then add the butter, sugar, egg yolk, soured cream and lemon zest and work it together. Form a dough ball and knead a little so all ingredients are well incorporated. Wrap it in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime you can prepare the filling. Mix together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, then add in the curd cheese, semolina and vanilla seeds and mix again.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.On a floured surface roll the pastry to about 5-8mm thick(or to the size of the Zila Cake Mould).

Spray the Zila Cake Mould with a vegetable based releasing agent and pour in the curd cheese filling. With a soft spatula try to compress the filing into all cavities and when finished tap the Mould (placing first on a pan) to the work-surface a few times.
This is very important to avoid empty bubbles when turned up side down after baking

Sprinkle on top the bread crumbs(in case the curd cheese layer would release any juice after turned upside down the breadcrumbs would absorb it). Place on top the pastry, trim the edges and prick with a fork. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is nice golden brown.

Leave it to cool as we take out from the oven for 10-15 minutes, then turn it up side down. Remove the silicon part and the stainless steel ring and leave it to cool completely.

Place chopped apricots to the cavities and fill them with apricot jam.

In a mixing bowl whip the egg whites to soft peaks then add the icing sugar and mix it to further 5 minutes until the mixture is nice and shiny. Place the meringue in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cake, leaving the slice divider lines exposed, so you know where you should cut it.  

You can either put back the cake into the lukewarm oven until the top hardened or you can use a blow torch(much faster if you ask me).

All left is have a slice and enjoy.