Kremna Rezina (Bled Cake) Recipe

Kremna rezina, or Bled cake as it is also known, is one of the most popular desserts in Slovenian cuisine and many Central European and Balkan countries under different names. Although the ingredients, taste, and appearance vary depending on the country's cuisine, it is generally a dessert prepared with one or two layers of cream between two slices of crispy puff pastry dough.

In some versions, only pastry cream is used, in others, only whipped cream is used, as in my strawberry practical puff pastry cake recipe, and in many, both pastry cream and whipped cream are used together, as in this recipe. I baked the puff pastry using the method from the strawberry practical puff pastry cake recipe, by placing a tray on top of the dough. This way, the puff pastry dough doesn’t rise unevenly or lose shape during baking, and it becomes crispier. Since it is crispy, you don't feel like you are eating a regular pastry; it is clear that you are enjoying a puff pastry specially prepared for the dessert.

Puff Pastry Size

Here in Spain, puff pastry dough is sold in large single pieces and unfrozen. If it is sold in small pieces and frozen where you live, I will explain what you need to do. If sold frozen, you should place it in the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before using it to allow it to thaw completely. If sold in small pieces, you can combine the pieces to reach the measurement I gave.

Does It Smell Like Eggs?

I feel it is my duty to make this statement in all recipes that use more than two eggs. We Turks are very sensitive about the smell of eggs. With this in mind, I tried to use as few eggs as possible in the recipe. In fact, to stay true to the original recipe, at least eight eggs would be required. However, I started experimenting with six eggs. The result was very good, but six eggs still seemed a bit too much. Later, I reduced it to four eggs. But this didn’t provide the airy texture the cream should have; the cream felt too heavy. Finally, I settled on five eggs. This was the most acceptable amount for me. But if you are not bothered by the egg smell, using six eggs will yield even better results.

By the way, if you are not afraid of the egg smell, the pastry cream might initially seem as if it smells like eggs, but this is not the case. If your eggs are fresh and don’t smell, and you follow the recipe instructions carefully (add slowly, whisk quickly, etc.), you will achieve a pastry cream with a wonderful vanilla scent. However, if your eggs smell bad from the start, or if you make a mistake in the recipe, your cream will smell like eggs even if you use just one egg. In short, if you notice an unpleasant smell from recipes that use eggs, it’s not because of the recipe itself, but due to your ingredients or method.

What You Need to Know About Shaping

To make the kremna rezina easily without the cream spreading to the edges and to slice it easily, a springform pan should be used. If you have a tray as deep as a springform pan, you can use that, but slicing and removing it from the tray may be a bit difficult. Still, it might be a better alternative than buying a springform pan just for this recipe.

Storage Conditions

I recommend eating the kremna rezina on the same day to enjoy it at its best consistency. If it needs to be stored, make sure to keep it in the refrigerator. Pastry cream is not ideal for freezing, as its texture can deteriorate when frozen and thawed.

Enjoy the recipe...

Enjoy...