The so-called “Praga” (or “Prague”) cake – a high, festive chocolate layer cake with a buttercream made with cocoa and condensed milk – was among the brightest highlights of my Soviet childhood. Yet, it took me twenty years to make my own for the first time this fall. Now a layer cake is more effort than I care to exert these days, so when I make it, I bake it either in the form of a sheet cake or as cupcakes, with the latter option being my favorite. This particular buttercream is really what defines Praga cake as such.
Since I don’t have an original cake recipe to share, use this frosting with your own favorite chocolate cake. My go-to version is The Pioneer Woman‘s Best Chocolate Sheet Cake, which is as elementary to prepare as it is extraordinary.
You start with condensed milk, the heart and soul of just about any buttercream in the Old Country. We’re going to make enough frosting for two dozen cupcakes or one large sheet cake, so we’ll be using 1 1/2 of these cans.
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We’ll also be needing some dutch-process cocoa.
And – I bet you really didn’t see this one coming – BUTTER! Whole 3 sticks of it.
Start by whipping room-temperature butter until fluffy. I used a whisk, but a paddle attachment, in my opinion, actually works better – I just couldn’t find it at the time.
Once that’s done, gradually beat in the milk. I went about half a can or so at a time, mixing after each addition. It will be pretty runny at this point, but have faith…
…for we are going to gradually thicken it with 10 tablespoons of cocoa, which we will beat in, two tablespoons at a time, and continue to beat until everything is sort of fluffy. If your butter was very soft, like mine, chill your frosting a bit before spreading it over a cooled cake or cupcakes.
Now no matter how your ideology makes you feel about sweetened condensed milk, this frosting is excruciatingly delicious, so let go of your prejudices and give it a try. Oh, and the organtic brands? Garbage. For the purest taste, go for the good-old Eagle Brand or ShurFine (Eagle Brand works a little better for this).
Perestroika Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 10 T dutch-process cocoa
Whip butter until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk in 1/2-can increments, mixing after each addition. Beat in the cocoa, 2 T at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is just fluffy. If your butter was very soft, chill the frosting slightly to make it more spreadable. Spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.
Note: If you are making a layer cake, know that rather than spreading the last layer with the same frosting, it is customary to coat the finished Praga with ganache or some ganache-like glaze. To this end, check out my milk chocolate version.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
When I was very very young, baboonia (think I spelled that rigt) made a sweet bread… It was in little rolled & twisted shapes & we kids devoured them with homemade strawberry & peach jams along with chi with jams in it for a desert or a snack during the day. She died when I was still a child and not yet smart enough to learn her secrets (like mastering the language).
I can remember the pronunciation started with a “P”. Would you have a clue as to what this was and how to make it. I tried for years to duplicate the taste, but alass no avail.
I thought you might know….
I just love your site & don’t know how you do everything & still have time for this site. It is a delight of my day to read through your pages! I shared your info with my sister who is very much like you ~ that is into everything from guns to butter… Love that title.
Anyway, if you know about the bread could you post the recipe?
If no one has said it lately ~ YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE LADY!
& although I don’t do butter & sweetened condensed milk, I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS the next time I take a desert somewhere. Will give you credit for the Ohhs & Ahhs!
This is another of the treats Baboonia made us when we were kids!
THANKS! For revived memories loke your cabbbage rolls~now I have that recipe too!
Sounds like “rogaliki” to me: http://www.google.com/search?q=rogaliki&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Never made them though.
Glad you like the site!
For Russian recipes, also google “Sassy Radish,” “Natasha’s Kitchen” and “AZ Cookbooks” – Russian-recipe blogs in English with American proportions.