Latvian Alexander Cake

Name: Latvian Alexander Cake
Cuisine: Latvian
Ingredients: 375 g/13 oz plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting; 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar; 250 g/9 oz/generous 1 cup chilled butter, cubed; 15 ml/1 tbsp vanilla extract; 45 ml/3 tbsp thick natural (plain) yogurt; 150 g/5½ oz/generous ½ cup apricot or blackcurrant preserve; 150 g/5½ oz/generous ½ cup apricot or blackcurrant preserve; 125 g/4½ oz/1⅛ cups icing (confectioners’) sugar; 15 ml/1 tbsp lemon juice; grated rind of 1 lemon

Preparation info

Makes
30-40
pieces

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Food and Cooking of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

By Silvena Johan Lauta

Published 2009

About

This cake was created in honour of Tsar Alexander - a famed gourmand -when he visited Riga. There are a number of different versions, some more difficult than others, but this recipe has been simplified so that it can be made easily at home. Buttery pastry encloses a layer of homemade preserves, and the cake is topped with lemon icing.

Ingredients

375 g/13 oz plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
50 g/2

Method

Put the flour, sugar and cubed butter into a large bowl. Working with your fingertips, combine the mixture until it forms rough breadcrumbs.
Add the vanilla extract and yogurt, just a little at a time, working with your fingers. Transfer the

Per portion Energy 105kcal/441kJ; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 14.4g, of which sugars 7.3g; Fat 5.2g, of which saturates 3.4g; Cholesterol 14mg; Calcium 19mg; Fibre 0.3g; Sodium 49mg.