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Cycki Murzynki Recipe – Polish Cake With A Very Controversial Name

Name: Cycki Murzynki Recipe - Polish Cake With A Very Controversial Name
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cup of sugar; 6 eggs (at room temperature); ¾ cup of poppy seeds; 1 ½ cup of shredded coconut; 2 cups of milk; 4 tbsps of all-purpose flour; 2 tbsps of potato or corn starch; 1 ½ cup (340g) of butter; 1 package of vanilla wafers (biszkopciki); 5 oz (150g) of raisins; 5 tbsps of cocoa

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Cycki Murzynki is an absolutely delicious cake but it has found itself in the middle of a big controversy. For those of you who do not speak Polish, the name ‘Cycki Murzynki’ translates into ‘black tits’ or ‘black woman tits’.

Some say that the name is very offensive and politically incorrect. To put it in perspective, for many the word ‘murzyn’ is akin to using the word ‘negro’ in English. Others say that it is just a name and that it was never meant to cause offense. They believe this is true because negro according to them means a slave. Murzyn however was used to describe the color of a person’s skin and did not really refer to slavery.

In fact, another popular dish that found itself in the middle of a similar controversy was the Murzynek Polish Chocolate Cake. Again, this cake features the word murzyn which is where the controversy arose from. Some people say that the murzynek Polish chocolate cake should be called a brownie. The recipe however is so different that calling it a brownie would be a misnomer.

Cycki Murzynki Cake Recipe

Make And Bake The Cake

Part I – Separate Egg Whites

Separate the egg whites and the egg yolks of 6 eggs. Make sure that the eggs are at room temperature before you use them in the recipe. If your eggs are not at room temperature, you can soak them in warm water before separating the white and yolk.

Part II – Preheat The Oven To 356F

Part III – Beat Egg Whites

Place the egg whites into a deep bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Beat the egg whites. The color and texture of the egg whites will change. They will begin to froth and become really fluffy. The color will change from pale yellow to white. Keep beating the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks.

Part IV – Add 1 Cup Of Sugar

Add a cup of sugar to the mixture and continue to beat the egg whites till it dissolves.

Part V – Add Shredded Coconuts And Poppy Seeds

Add 1 ½ cup of shredded coconut and ¾ cup of poppy seeds to the mixture. Mix the coconut and the poppy seeds with the egg white mixture so that it combines with it well.

Part VI – Pour Batter Into A Baking Pan

Use a 9×13” baking pan for this recipe. Line the baking pan with parchment paper so that it is easy to remove the cake once it has been baked. Pour the batter into the baking pan.

Part VII – Bake For 15-20 Minutes

Make The Custard

Part I – Pour 1 ½ Cup Of Milk Into A Pot

Part II – Add Sugar And Egg Yolk

Add ¾ cup of sugar, 6 egg yolks into the milk. Whip the mixture together. You will notice that the texture of the mixture will change. Continue to whip it till you get a smooth yellow color.

Part III – Pour Half Cup Of Milk Into A Small Bowl

Set aside half a cup of the milk in a small bowl. We will use this at a later stage in the recipe.

Part IV – Add Flour And Potato Starch.

Add in 2 tbsps. of potato starch and 4 tbsps. of all purpose flour into the small bowl of milk. Mix well and ensure that there are no lumps formed. You can add it a tbsp. at a time if you are worried about lumps. It combines more easily this way.

Part V – Place The Pot On The Stove And Cook

This is the trickiest part of the recipe. Place the pot on the stove and cook on a low fire. Make sure that you stir the mixture constantly. This will keep the mixture from being lumpy.

Part VI – Add Milk With Flour

When the milk comes to a boil add the milk with flour to it. Stir constantly till you get the consistency of a pudding. This will be your homemade custard. When it is ready, set it aside to cool.

Part VII – Add 1 Cup Of Butter

When the pudding cools down, add 1 cup of butter to the mixture and beat it.

Make The Chocolate Glaze

Making the chocolate glaze is really easy. All you need to do is melt ½ cup of butter with ½ cup of sugar and 5 tbsps. of cocoa. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. It is essential that you do not bring this to a boil.

Assemble The Cake

Part I – Cover Raisins With Hot Water

Place 5 oz. of raisins in a bowl and cover them with hot water. The raisins will absorb the water and balloon out. This will give a nice texture and will enhance their sweetness.

Part II – Cover The Cake With Custard

Layer the cake with the custard that you have made. Ensure to spread it evenly on the top of the cake.

Part III – Place Vanilla Wafers On The Cake

Soak the vanilla wafers briefly in water. Layer them on top of the custard layer that you have just finished putting.

Part VI – Place 1 Raisin On Each Wafer.

Part V – Cover The Cake With The Chocolate Glaze

The top of the cake is covered with chocolate.

FAQ About Cycki Murzynki

My Custard Always Turns Out Lumpy. What Am I Doing Wrong?

There are a couple of reasons why the custard could be lumpy. One common reason is that people tend to dissolve the potato starch and flour directly into the egg yolk and milk mix. This causes small lumps of flour that are hard to get rid off. The best way to avoid this is to mix the flour and starch in a small bowl and then add them into the mixture.

Another reason is because people are hasty. They place the custard on a high fire in hope of getting done quickly. Unfortunately the custard thickens really fast and causes lumps.

The last reason for lumps is insufficient stirring. Make sure that you constantly stir the mixture. You will notice the change in consistency as you stir it. The constant stirring will ensure that lumps do not form.

Can I Use A Custard Premix For The Custard Layer?

You can use a custard premix for the layer but it isn’t very practical. This is because the cake recipe calls for egg whites from 6 eggs. This means that you will be left with six egg yolks. If you do not use them in your custard recipe, they will go to waste.

Plus, you have to admit that homemade custard is way better than any premix.

Why Do The Eggs Need To Be At Room Temperature?

For this recipe, we need the egg white to fluff up and form stiff peaks. This will give the Cycki Murzynki its characteristic spongy texture. For the egg white to form stiff peaks it needs to be at room temperature. If your eggs aren’t at room temperature don’t worry. Simply place them in warm water ten minutes before use. Note that the water should be warm and not hot.

Yield: 15 pieces

Cycki Murzynki Recipe - Polish Cake With A Very Controversial Name

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 ¼ cup of sugar
6 eggs (at room temperature)
¾ cup of poppy seeds
1 ½ cup of shredded coconut
2 cups of milk
4 tbsps of all-purpose flour
2 tbsps of potato or corn starch
1 ½ cup (340g) of butter
1 package of vanilla wafers (biszkopciki)
5 oz (150g) of raisins
5 tbsps of cocoa

Instructions

Make And Bake The Cake

Separate egg whites from egg yolks.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
Add 1 cup sugar and beat until it is dissolved.
Add shredded coconuts and poppy seeds and mix.
Pour the batter into the baking pan (9x13") lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Make The Custard

Pour 1 ½ cups of milk into the pot.
Add ¾ cup of sugar, egg yolks, and whip it together until you will get a smooth, yellow color.
Pour half cup of milk into the small bowl.
Add flour, potato starch, and mix until dissolved.
Place a pot on the stove, cook slowly, stirring all the time.
When it nearly boils, add milk with flour and you will get the consistency of pudding. Allow to cool.
When the pudding is cold, beat it with 1 cup of butter.