Romanian Crème Fraîche Cake (Lichiu)
- Makes16 pieces
- Cook Time2½ hours
- Active time plus cooling40 minutes active, plus cooling
- 5
During a trip to Transylvania, we tasted lichiu, a sweet yeasted dough spread with a creamy, lemony, semolina filling and a custard upper layer made with crème fraîche and egg yolks. The semolina and custard fuse during baking, resulting in a delicious marriage of a brioche-like bottom crust beneath a rich, dense cheesecake-like topping. We adapted a recipe from Romanian cookbook author Irina Georgescu. Be sure to use fine, not coarse, semolina flour for proper hydration— Bob’s Red Mill is a good choice—and to ensure the semolina thickens properly, after streaming it into the boiling water, return the mixture to a full simmer. Only lightly sweet, lichiu can be served any time of day. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container; bring to room temperature for serving.
Don’t whip the egg whites until you are ready to use them. Once whipped, the egg whites need to be immediately incorporated into the cooled semolina mixture. If they wait for too long, they may start to break down. Also, take care not to overwhip the whites or they will be difficult to incorporate into the semolina mixture. When the whisk attachment is lifted, the whites should form long, droopy peaks, not curls that stand upright.
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