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In Soviet times, the “Count Ruins” cake, like the “Kyiv” cake, was prepared exclusively on the basis of meringue. However, later many other recipes for this dessert were invented - on sponge cake or a combination of sponge cake and meringue.

The cream for the classic version of this cake is supposed to be made using butter or condensed milk. But if you wish, you can prepare “Count Ruins”, for example, with sour cream, whipped cream or custard.

Cake "Count's Ruins"

To bake a dessert using classical technology, you will need the following ingredients:

walnuts - 1 tbsp;
chocolate - 100 g;
high-quality butter - 250 g;
thick condensed milk - 8 tbsp.

For the meringue of the Soviet “Count Ruins” you will need to prepare:

eggs - 4 pcs;
sugar - 1 tbsp.

Baking the meringue base

For the classic Count's Ruins cake, the meringue is baked first. You need to prepare it like this:

Separate the whites from the yolks and beat a little with a whisk or in a mixer. Gradually add all the prepared sugar to the whites.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the whipped mixture onto a baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 110°C. Bake the meringue for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 95°C. Bake the meringue in the oven for another 2 hours.
After 2 hours, turn off the oven and leave the meringue to dry in it for about 1.5 hours.

Beat butter with condensed milk. Place the sweet mass in the refrigerator.
Grind the walnuts into coarse crumbs with a knife. Leave a few grains to decorate the finished cake.
Cut the chocolate into cubes. Steam the prunes for 5 minutes. in boiling water, dry lightly and also cut. Leave a few prunes for decorating the cake.
Place a layer of meringue on a flat dish. Pre-dip each baked piece in a mixture of sour cream and condensed milk. Fill the spaces between the pieces with broken meringue.
Place prunes and nuts on top of the meringue, filling any remaining small voids.
Place the meringue again and sprinkle it with a mixture of prunes and nuts. Alternate layers until the meringue is gone.

The finished cake should be left in the refrigerator for about 6-10 hours to soak.

Homemade cake “Count's ruins” based on sponge cake

This dessert also turns out very tasty, aromatic and beautiful. To bake a biscuit in this case you need to prepare:

sour cream - 200 g;
eggs - 2 pcs;
flour - 1.5 tbsp;
sugar - 1 tbsp;
cocoa - 3 tbsp;
slaked soda - 2 tsp.

The cream for such “Count Ruins” is prepared using:

sour cream - 500 g;
sugar - 1 tbsp;
vanilla to taste.

To prepare the glaze you will need:

cocoa and sugar - 4 tbsp each;
milk - 5 tbsp;
butter - 80 g.

You will also need to purchase one pineapple for this cake. If desired, this fruit can be replaced with nuts or berries.

How to bake a sponge cake and make cream

To prepare the basis for the “Count's Ruins”, you need:

mix all the ingredients and leave the mixture to rise for about 30 minutes;
Transfer the infused dough into a mold and bake in the oven at 180 C for an hour.

The finished cake should be divided into two halves - 1/3 and 2/3. The larger part then needs to be cut into 3x3 cm cubes. The smaller cake layer will subsequently serve as the base of the cake.

To prepare sour cream for the cake, you should:

add sugar and vanillin to the sour cream and mix everything thoroughly;
put the cream in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Assembling the “ruins”

Now you can start making the “Count's Ruins” cake itself. To make this dessert you need:

Place the cooled crust base on a platter or tray.
Dip the biscuit squares into the cream and place them in a mound on the base. Place pineapple pieces, nuts or berries between the squares.

At the final stage, the finished cake is poured with glaze, which can be prepared, for example, like this:

mix cocoa and sugar thoroughly;
pour milk into the mixture and add melted vegetable oil;
Heat the resulting mass over low heat until a glossy shine appears.

At the final stage, the finished glaze should be carefully poured over the “mountain” of the cake in a thin stream.

Variant of “Count's ruins” based on both meringue and sponge cake

Meringue for such an original dessert is prepared using:

eggs - 3 pcs;
sugar - 150 g;
pinches of salt;
lemon juice - ½ tsp.

To bake the biscuit you will need:

eggs - 4 pcs;
sugar - 0.5 tbsp;
vanilla sugar - 1 sachet;
flour - 150 g;
slaked soda - ½ tsp;
semolina - 2 tbsp.

The cream for this cake is prepared from:

butter - 250 g;
condensed milk - 1 can;
cocoa - 3 tbsp.

To prepare the glaze you will need:

chocolate - ¼ bar;
butter - 30-50 g.

You will also need some peeled walnuts and prunes.

Preparing the base step by step

In this case, you also first need to prepare the biscuit base of the “Count’s Ruins”:

Thoroughly beat 3 yolks and 1 egg with sugar and vanilla in a bowl with a mixer until a dense foam forms.
Sift the flour into a separate container. Once again sift ¼ of the flour into a cup with beaten eggs and mix everything thoroughly. Add another quarter of the flour to the cup and mix everything again. Repeat the procedure with the remaining portions of flour.
Add slaked soda to the biscuit mixture. Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Turn on the oven to preheat.

While the biscuit dough is infusing, you can prepare the meringue mixture. To do this, beat the whites with sugar until stiff peaks form. Next, add a little lemon juice to the whipped mass to stabilize the foam and beat everything a little again.

Now you can start baking biscuits for the “Count’s Ruins.” To do this you should:

grease the mold with butter;
pour semolina into the mold and distribute it over the bottom and sides;
Place the dough in the mold and bake the biscuit at 180°C for 20 minutes.

While the sponge cake is baking, you can start placing the meringue on a baking sheet. The baking sheet should first be lined with parchment paper. It is best to add meringue little by little - ½ teaspoon at a time. In this case, the cake will subsequently turn out more neat and tasty.

Next, the baking sheet should be placed in the oven, removing the pre-baked sponge cake from it. The meringue needs to dry for about 1 hour. Then it should be cooled in the oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes.

Preparing the cream and assembling the cake

The technology for preparing the cream for the combined “Count Ruins” looks like this:

Mix butter with condensed milk with a mixer. Divide the cream into two parts.
Add cocoa to one of the parts. Mix everything thoroughly.
Finely chop the walnuts with a knife. Pour them into a cup with dark cream and mix everything again.

Divide the cooled biscuit in half. The denser top layer will later serve as the base of the cake. Cut the lower separated part of the biscuit into small cubes. These pieces will subsequently have to completely dissolve in the cream.
Place the pieces in the cream with cocoa and nuts. Mix everything thoroughly, turning it into a single mass.
Grease the base cake with white cream in an amount of 1-2 tbsp. Place meringue on top along the edge of the crust. Place a mound of nuts and meringue mixture in the center.
Place a second meringue ring of smaller diameter along the edges of the “slide”. Make a few more rings in this way until the very top of the “slide”.
Decorate the cake with nuts and prunes, pressing them between the meringues.

Prunes should first be steamed and thoroughly washed and chopped. At the final stage, it is advisable to pour icing on top of the cake, made from chocolate melted with butter. Next, the dessert should be placed in the refrigerator for several hours.

"Count's ruins" with cherries

This version of the cake can be prepared, for example, in the summer at the dacha. The “Count's Ruins” dessert with cherries not only has an excellent taste, but also looks very impressive and elegant. This recipe is suitable for those housewives who do not like too sweet cakes.

“Count's Ruins” are prepared with cherries, usually on a biscuit base. The following ingredients are used for baking the crust:

flour - 220 g;
sour cream - 200 g;
butter - 50 g;
eggs - 2 pcs;
cocoa - 3 tbsp;
slaked soda - 1 tsp;
sugar - 200 g;
salt - a small pinch.

To prepare the cream you will need:

sour cream - 500 g;
cocoa - 3 tbsp;
sugar - 200 g;
vanilla sugar - 1 sachet.

To prepare such “Count Ruins” you will need about 100 g of pitted cherries.

Baking a crust: a step-by-step recipe

Cherry goes very well with chocolate. Therefore, when using it, the sponge cake for the “Count’s Ruins” is best made with cocoa powder:

Mix eggs, sugar and sour cream in a cup. Add slaked soda and flour to the mixture.
Mix cocoa and soft butter into the dough. The finished dough should have the consistency of sour cream.
Cover the baking pan with parchment and place the dough into it. Bake the biscuit at 170°C for 45 minutes.

How to make cream and assemble a cherry cake

Sour cream is just perfect for the “Count Ruins” with cherries. You can prepare it, for example, like this:

Beat the sour cream thoroughly with a mixer. To make the cream as palatable and airy as possible, this procedure should be performed for at least 6-8 minutes.
Add vanilla, sugar, cocoa to the cream and beat everything thoroughly again.

The next step should be the actual assembly of the “Count's Ruins” cake. This procedure must be performed using the following technology:

Cut off the sides and top of the cooled biscuit. Divide the remaining smooth cake into two parts. Grease the first part with half the cream and place the cherry on top.
Cut the top and sides into cubes. Place the second part of the cake on top of the cherries and cream.
Mix the chopped biscuit cubes with the remaining half of the cream. Place the mixture in a “slide” on top of the second cake layer. Level the sides of the “slide” with a spoon or spatula.

The cake prepared in this way must be placed in the refrigerator until the morning to soak the sponge cake and harden the cream. If desired, these “Count Ruins” can be pre-decorated by sprinkling nuts and chopped prunes on top.

One of our family’s favorite cakes is the Count’s Ruins cake with sour cream. This cake is very easy to prepare, the main thing is that you don’t have to worry that the sponge cake won’t turn out or that it won’t be perfectly smooth, in this cake the sponge cake will be cut into cubes.

A distinctive feature of the “Count's Ruins” cake from its similar counterparts is that its base is a white sponge cake, and the “ruins” themselves are made from chocolate sponge cake. Previously, fruits were not added to this cake, as, for example, to the Pancho cake, but in my version I still decided to add a twist and added a layer of tangerines for juiciness.

So, let's take it in order...

To prepare the Count's Ruins cake with sour cream, prepare the necessary ingredients.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add sugar, beat the mixture very thoroughly with a whisk.

Suppress the soda and add it to the dough. Sift the flour. Mix the dough thoroughly with a spoon.

Pour 1/3 of the dough into a 23 cm diameter mold lined with parchment.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the light sponge cake for 15 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp to the remaining 2/3 of the dough. cocoa and 1 tbsp. sour cream. Mix the mixture thoroughly again.

Pour the chocolate batter into another pan lined with parchment.

Bake the chocolate sponge cake for 20-25 minutes. It turned out a little uneven for me, but in this case it doesn’t matter, the most important thing is that it is very soft and tasty!

Cool both biscuits. Chocolate - cut into cubes.

For the cream, beat sour cream with powdered sugar. In this case, I always use homemade full-fat sour cream, this is the guarantee that the cream will turn out perfect. Read more about how to make sour cream here.

Place the light sponge cake on a plate, soak it in syrup or diluted sweet liqueur, and brush with sour cream. Cut tangerines into slices and place on top of the cream.

Then dip the chocolate biscuit pieces into sour cream and place them in a heap in a chaotic manner. You should press the cubes a little on top so that there are no voids in the cake.

Once the cake is assembled, prepare the frosting. To do this, pour sugar and cocoa into a ladle, add sour cream and butter. Stir the mixture over low heat until smooth. Pour frosting over the top of the cake, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Place the cake in the refrigerator for several hours to soak.

The “Count's ruins” cake with sour cream is ready - you can serve it.

Bon appetit!

This name appeared due to the external similarity. There are several options for making it: the Count's Ruins cake with sponge cake and meringue. In both cases, the dessert is given the appropriate shape by arranging the pieces in artistic disorder. The entire structure is soaked in syrup, covered with cream, and then poured over with chocolate.

The pile of ruins is constructed from small meringues or pieces of biscuit. Everything is glued together and soaked in cream. Then it is generously poured with glaze, this is an integral part of the dessert. The preparation is simple, although very time-consuming, and everyone likes the result. Unlike some dishes, this cake turns out better at home than in a restaurant or cafe due to proven and high-quality products.

Cake "Count's Ruins"

The count's ruins are one of the interpretations of the famous Kyiv cake, which the workers of the confectionery factory named after. Karl Marx was once presented to General Secretary Brezhnev. The cake consisted of meringue layers, cream and hazelnuts. When it went on sale, people lined up to try the delicious dessert, which combines a crispy base and delicate cream. Many came to Kyiv to try it or bring it home as a gift as a valuable souvenir.

There are several versions of creating such an unusual combination. According to one, 60 years ago the head of the confectionery shop decided to hide the mistake of the workers, and as a result he created a masterpiece. According to another, the recipe was created over many years by trial and error. And then it was patented in 1973 under the name “Kyiv”.

Its recipe is still kept secret. And housewives, trying to please their families, selected recipes to replicate the taste of the famous brand. It was this popular dessert that became the basis for the “Count’s Ruins.” Most likely, the form was created for convenience, since in Soviet times few people had the opportunity to decorate confectionery products like in a factory.

There was also no high-quality baking paper on sale; silicone mats and cakes often broke or got slightly burnt. Also, not everyone had the opportunity to purchase a pastry syringe. And the unusual democratic form was convenient because it made it possible to hide minor errors.

Until now, neat and even meringues are chosen only for the visible part. The cream for the “Count's Ruins” is prepared depending on the type of cake or base. It can be Charlotte, custard, sour cream, whipped cream and cream. Below are some of the best recipes.

Classic cake, Count's ruins - general principles of preparation

Cake "Count's Ruins"

“Count's ruins” cannot be confused with any dessert. Most often it has the shape of a slide, where a sponge cake and meringue are “thrown out”. Sometimes the role of “ruins” is played by cream decoration. For aesthetics, neater meringues or slices of sponge dough are used in a prominent place on top.

To bake the classic version of the Count's Ruins cake, firstly, you need to set aside enough time, especially if you don't bake sponge cake very often. It is on the basis of sponge cakes that this dish is prepared. To get the “Count’s Ruins”, sometimes you just need to “fill” your hand.

Secondly, in order for the first test to be successful, you need to follow several rules:

For biscuits and cream, you need to use only high-quality products. The eggs must be fresh, the flour must be tested, and the sour cream must be natural and thick.
A lot in the dough depends on flour. Its quality depends on gluten, the percentage of which is indicated on the pack. To prepare an excellent dough, you will need a gluten content of at least 28%. This is usually designated as “highest grade” or “1st grade”.
Be sure to sift the flour. This way you can not only get rid of debris and small particles, but also saturate it with oxygen during the sifting process. Baking made from such flour turns out more fluffy.
Flour is never added to the dough in the entire amount specified in the recipe. Experienced confectioners know that flour can vary in quality, which affects the dough. Also the amount of liquid (egg) varies. The fat content of products such as sour cream, milk, kefir also affects flour consumption. You need to focus on consistency.
The thickness of the biscuit dough can be described as very thick sour cream. It does not pour, but slowly slides from the bowl into the mold.
You can improve the structure of the dough by adding half a tablespoon (tablespoon) of starch to the flour. It is best to use cornstarch. But, if it is not there, then add potato. Dough with starch does not settle as much and becomes more durable. But you shouldn’t overuse starch either, otherwise the biscuit will become tough.
The eggs for the biscuit are not separated into white and yolk, but rather beaten together. The main thing is to be patient and achieve a good result. This is a rather long and labor-intensive process, so a regular mixer comes to the rescue, set at medium speed. The beating time depends on the quality of the eggs and their quantity, but usually it does not exceed 10 minutes.
Beginners need to remember one of the rules for beating egg whites and eggs: they start adding sugar only after the eggs have already been whipped into a strong foam.
Sugar for biscuits does not have to be ground in a coffee grinder; the result will be the same in both cases.
To make the sponge cake fluffy, only 3 components are used: flour, sugar, eggs. But it won’t be tasty enough for the “Count’s Ruins.” The dough made with kefir, cream, and sour cream will not be as fluffy, but more tender and soft. The same thing happens when fats are added: vegetable oil or butter.
Sour cream is whipped like protein cream - until it reaches a stable foam. To do this, you need to take only high-quality natural sour cream, with a fat content of at least 20%. The higher the fat content of the sour cream, the better the sweet sauce. Sour cream with a fat content of 15% is not suitable for “Count Ruins”. The resulting cream will flow down and not stick evenly throughout the dessert from bottom to top.
A cake decorated with chocolate is the hallmark of the “ruins.” To prepare the glaze, you will need chocolate or a mixture of cocoa powder and butter, sour cream, and cream.
Cocoa powder for glaze is used only of good quality, with a high cocoa content. There is no need to take ready-made mixtures for making drinks - in addition to sugar and milk powder, they often contain flavorings and colorings.
If the sponge cake uses only eggs, sand and flour, then there is no need to add baking powder. If the composition includes such “heavyweights” as butter or sour cream, you must definitely use soda (alone or with vinegar) or baking powder. It is best to mix it with flour, then it will be better distributed.

Making the Count's Ruins cake

To make the “Count's Ruins” cake at home, first you need to bake the biscuits, then the cream. The assembly of this structure is a separate story. Each piece (or meringue) is dipped in cream and assembled into a tall “pie”. It consists of pieces of dough soaked in a sweet sauce.

Usually the lower part of the dessert consists of whole cakes that decrease in diameter. Pieces of biscuit are placed on top. There is another option: from top to bottom, the “Count’s ruins” consist of broken cakes. The pieces below can be whatever you want. On the outside, for decoration, they need to be made smaller and more neat.

How to make the Count's Ruins cake at home

The classic recipe for the Count's Ruins cake is prepared virtually without baking, so the first stage (preparing the sponge cake) can be planned in advance. For example, 1-2 days before preparing dessert, you can bake cakes. During this time, their taste will only improve. For example, the intense omelette smell, characteristic of baking eggs, dissipates only after a few hours.

And you can assemble the dish on the day when you are planning a reception or a home celebration. This is very convenient, given the busyness at work and the extended preparation time for “Count Ruins.” The assembly itself does not take much time.

You just need to take into account that you can store biscuits wrapped in linen or cotton cloth. If the cakes dry out a little, they need to be soaked a little. Any option that will be combined with the base and cream is suitable. It can be compote syrup mixed with liqueur or honey with coffee and cognac.

There is no need to make changes to the dough recipe at first. It is best to gain experience and master the basic recipe, and only then make adjustments. The presented recipe contains sour cream, which significantly changes the structure of the dough. Of course, for an airy sponge cake this is a whole challenge. But the result is worth it: the cakes turn out very tasty even without cream. And along with it, it will be a delicacy that no one can refuse.

Ingredients (dough):

flour - 1.5 cups;
sour cream - 150 ml;
sugar - 150 g;
eggs - 4 pieces;
cocoa powder - 3 tbsp;
1 tsp soda;
vinegar 9% - half tsp.

Ingredients (cream):

sour cream - 2 cups;
sugar - 1 glass.

Ingredients (glaze):

butter - 2 tbsp;
cocoa - 2 tbsp;
sugar - 3 tbsp;
sour cream (at least 20% fat) - half a glass.

Ingredients for the Count's Ruins cake

You can work a little on the composition. For example, for the dough, instead of sour cream, use kefir or fermented baked milk. But it must be taken into account that low fat content compared to sour cream will affect the remaining proportions. In this case, you will need a little more flour.

Cocoa can be replaced with a melted and then cooled chocolate bar. You can choose it based on your own taste: bitter, milky. Soda and vinegar can be replaced with baking powder. For this amount of food you will need half a pack. But it is completely undesirable to refuse it, otherwise the biscuit will not rise and will come out too dense, like rubber. Neither impregnation nor cream can correct this quality.

Preparing a biscuit

How to prepare the classic recipe for the Count's Ruins cake:

To make the cake intensely chocolate-colored, full-fat sour cream must be mixed with cocoa in advance.
Beat the eggs until thick foam.
Add sugar little by little.
Add cocoa with sour cream to the resulting mass, and then the remaining ingredients.
Next you need to put the mixture into a round shape.
Set the oven temperature to 180ºC in advance. Bake for 50 minutes.

Even beginners can always make this kind of dough. It is moderately fluffy, tender, and does not break. The cut shows many small bubbles that, like a sponge, absorb the cream. You can determine the readiness of the cakes for the “Count’s Ruins” using an ordinary toothpick, which you need to stick (and immediately pull out) into the sponge cake. If the toothpick remains clean and dry, the baked goods are ready.

Preparing sour cream

The sweet sauce is prepared simply: beat the sour cream with a mixer, add sugar crushed in a coffee grinder. To thicken, place in the refrigerator for half an hour. As you can see, preparing such sour cream will not take much time.

You can simply whip sour cream with sugar, but adding powdered sugar will significantly save time, and vanillin will add sweet notes. “Count's Ruins” with sour cream is the basis, a classic of the genre. You can diversify the traditional taste with the help of various additives: cocoa, orange or lemon zest, vanillin, balsamic vinegar.

If you were unable to buy high-quality thick sour cream, you can add any kind of butter cream for the “count’s” cake. It is prepared as simply as sour cream. It also consists of only two components: fresh sweet butter and sugar. The proportions are as follows: for 1 stick of butter you need to take 1 glass of sugar. The mixture is whipped until fluffy. The oil must first be softened.

Sugar can be replaced with condensed milk. You can add the same additives to cream as to sour cream. And if you replace sugar with custard, you get the second most popular sweet sauce in the “Count Ruins” - Charlotte. It goes well with both the biscuit base and the meringue.

Making chocolate glaze

We prepare the icing for the “Count's Ruins” cake according to one of the recipes. There are many of them, which one to choose is a matter of experience and personal preference. Someone simply melts a bar of chocolate and pours this mixture over the dessert. Some people add a couple of tablespoons of cream or milk to the chocolate.

We will prepare the glaze, which consists of 4 ingredients. All ingredients for the glaze must be boiled in a saucepan for at least 2 minutes. After the mixture has cooled, pour it over the finished cake. The main indicator of the quality of cake icing is its appearance. It should be dark, shiny, without lumps.

Collecting the Count's Ruins Cake

Step by step recipe:

Cut the finished sponge cake into 4 layers (the top one is the thinnest, as it usually deforms a little during baking).
Cut circles from 3 cake layers according to the template or, using an inverted plate, according to it. All 3 cake layers must be different sizes. The difference should be barely noticeable. You need to cut it with a sharp knife, gradually reducing the diameter. The thin top cake, as well as the trimmings from the sides, need to be broken into pieces.
Three cake layers are combined with cream. On the smallest diameter, top layer, place pieces of biscuits dipped in cream. This can be done with a spoon. The sponge cake is dipped into the cream on a spoon and then placed on the cake. They form “ruins” in the form of a slide. The worst parts are put in first. For decoration, leave the most even ones.
To make the cake tastier, it is left to soak for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator or any other cool place.

The “Count's ruins” cake according to the classic recipe is ready. To improve the taste, you can pre-moisten the biscuit with syrup, honey and milk, a mixture of alcohol (cognac, rum) and water.

This dessert can be served with almost any drink. “Count's ruins” go harmoniously with strong black coffee and tea, hot cocoa with cream and chilled champagne. It will be appropriate for any holiday and celebration, eventually becoming a good reason to gather everyone at one table.

Video of making the Count's Ruins cake

Count's ruins cake with meringue

The Count's Ruins cake with meringue is easy to prepare at home. A set of products for meringues (cookies made from whipped egg whites with sugar) is affordable. There are squirrels and sand in every home. This is the simplest, but at the same time the most delicate dessert in structure and taste, especially when it sits overnight.

First, the protein base is prepared in the oven. It can be small meringues or a solid protein cake, the size of a baking sheet, which is then broken into pieces. This is not a difficult, but quite responsible procedure. The meringue should not fry, but dry out, so the process takes a lot of time.

Let's prepare meringue for the Count's Ruins cake

In the confectionery world there are 2 simple recipes for the Count's Ruins cake: sponge cake and meringue. The version with meringue is distinguished by its simplicity. Its obvious advantage: availability of products and budget. The whites are used to make meringues, the yolks are used to make custard.

Most likely, this economical technique was also invented by housewives, choosing a recipe similar to Kiev cake. Experimenting with the proportions of the base: eggs, sugar, milk, we finally found their wonderful combination in the “ruins”, which has delighted us for decades.

The main difficulty is preparing the meringue. Each stage of this process is extremely important. For example, you can beat the whites correctly and add as much sugar as you need, but ruin everything when drying. Therefore, follow the recommendations exactly. There are several unshakable rules for making meringue:

To ensure that the whites are whipped and do not settle prematurely, the dishes and whisk must be thoroughly washed. Squirrels do not tolerate the presence of a single drop of fat in their territory. The bowl intended for whipping can be checked for the presence of fat by running a thin paper napkin along the inner walls. It is good to boil the whisk from time to time with soda or mustard to completely degrease it. It is not recommended to use dishwashing detergents in this case.
Water is also unacceptable when beating egg whites, so you need to make sure that its drops do not get into the mass. To do this, you need to thoroughly wipe all the dishes with a towel, or even better, dry them after washing.
Do not beat egg whites in an aluminum bowl. A special one made of durable food-grade plastic is best suited.
Before whipping, you can place the whites in the refrigerator, this will make them easier to work with. Although there are alternative methods of whipping, beginners can use this initially. Cold is additionally created using a container with ice, where a bowl for whipping egg whites is placed.
The whites will whip better if you add a few drops of diluted citric acid or lemon juice to the mixture before the process. Salt is added for the same purpose. Not much, literally a few crystals that are removed between pinched fingers (a pinch).
It’s a paradox, but the whites for whipping into a fluffy foam do not have to be the freshest. Let us remember that when creating the first batch of Kyiv dessert, the proteins, which were not cooled in time for other baking, also spoiled a little. Without being too fanatical, it is important to choose not the freshest eggs in the store. Homemade ones are definitely not suitable for good meringues.
To better start the beating process, add a few crystals of citric acid or half a pinch of salt to the whites.
It is more convenient to beat the whites with a mixer. If you use a whisk, it is recommended to use a large whisk, which will speed up the process a little.
The mixer attachments should not have a spiral shape (these are intended for dough); they cannot be used to beat egg whites.
You need to add sugar, starting with small portions - first half a teaspoon. Gradually the volume is increased to several tablespoons.
To get strong meringues, you need to add corn or potato starch: 1 tablespoon per 7 whites. Starch not only gives the necessary rigidity, the hardened whipped whites will become glossy and shiny.
The meringue is considered ready if it is hard not only on the outside, but also on the inside. Sometimes, for some dishes, the meringue (meringue) is allowed to dry incompletely. But in the case of the “Count's ruins” everything is strict: it is better to make small cookies, but dry them completely.
You need to dry the meringue in the oven at a temperature of 100 degrees. If there is a convection mode, then you need to use it, or open the oven door slightly. Drying time depends on the functionality of the oven and the size of the puffed cookies. Lasts on average from 2.5 to 4 hours. Unfortunately, it is impossible to speed it up. If you turn on the gas at high power, the meringues will burn.
It is convenient to dry whipped whites in several stages in advance. For example, a day or two before you plan to serve dessert. This way the airy cookies for the “Count Ruins” will turn out tender, crispy, without a raw center inside. First, the meringue is dried in the oven at a temperature of 80-100 degrees for 30-60 minutes.
The door is kept open. It is convenient to use some small object to prevent the door from slamming shut (for example, a matchbox will do). Then the gas is turned off and the door is closed until it cools down. The cooled meringues are dried at room temperature. The operation is repeated at a convenient time. Here you need to follow the basic rule: it is better to make the temperature a little lower than to throw away spoiled cookies later.
For drying, it is better to use a silicone mat or special parchment paper with a baking coating.
There are 2 opinions on whether you should grease the paper before baking. Those who do not do this note that the meringues do not stick even without oil, which can cause them to settle.
There are several subtleties that relate to proportions. The classic way to prepare meringue is this: take 50 g of granulated sugar for 1 white. You can take powder or brown sugar, but the proportions are determined by weight.
You can add various colors and flavors to whipped whites. But you need to remember that only a small amount will not affect the quality: a few drops or vanilla on the tip of a knife. For example, if you add a few spoons of cocoa to meringues, this will change their appearance: the cookies will not hold their shape and will sag. All additives that are used in large quantities are best used in cream.
Nuts can be chopped and put into protein dough. But we take into account 2 points. Nuts ground in a coffee grinder are added to the egg whites after they have been beaten together with sugar, that is, after they are fully prepared. Second: the meringue settles heavily from the nuts and becomes not very aesthetically pleasing, although tasty. Therefore, you can prepare such cookies inside the “Count’s ruins”, and without fillers - for decoration.

Be sure to balance the capabilities of the oven, the size of the cake and the amount of whipped egg whites. Since the whites take a long time to dry, you only need to beat the amount that will fit on the baking sheet. You can dry in 2-3 “floors” if the number of baking sheets allows, changing them in places during drying.

This is the advantage of “Count Ruins”. While the whipped egg white cookies are drying, you can do whatever you want. The main thing is that the base does not become baked. Then the cake will acquire an unpleasant burnt taste mixed with the smell of omelet.

So, to prepare a sufficient amount of base, you need to take:

10 proteins;
500 g sugar;
a teaspoon of vanilla sugar.

There is no need to beat all the whites at once. It is enough to take half or a third, which you then dry in the oven and start a new batch.
Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. What does it mean? Try using a whisk or attachment to scoop a small amount of egg whites and turn them upside down. Sticky proteins will stand and will not change their shape, despite the fact that they have a soft structure. The process of whipping to this state lasts about 10 minutes (with breaks).
Now add sugar little by little (half a spoon at a time) to the whites, continuing to beat the whites. Once you have achieved stable peaks, stop beating.
Preheat the oven (80-100 degrees).
Using a pastry bag with a suitable nozzle, place small-sized (5-6 cm) cookies onto a baking sheet.
Place in the oven, open the lid slightly and wait about an hour.
Turn off and leave to dry for 3-4 hours. Then repeat the operation.
Between drying in the oven, the whipped whites are dried in the room.

The finished products can be placed on a plate and covered with a cloth while the next batch is being prepared.

Preparing cream for the count's ruins

Cream "Charlotte"

Different creams are suitable for “ruins”. Whipped cream (Chantilly) goes well with hardened egg whites. But they have one significant drawback - they do not hold their shape well and can fall off during the time allotted for impregnation. Some people add a special thickener to the whipped mass, which fixes the cream.

For whipping, use cream with a fat content of at least 35%. If you cannot find a thickener, then add a teaspoon of starch or protein to the mass before whipping. This is a natural “fixer”. If desired, you can use sour cream, a relative of Chantilly. But, as practice has shown, it goes better with biscuit than with proteins.

A delicious dessert with butter cream based on butter. In this case, it is necessary to take only a high-quality product, and in no case a spread. Butter sauce has many advantages: it holds its shape well and does not settle, it is not spoiled by the addition of cocoa, and it makes a wonderful chocolate cake.

But the most delicate taste and excellent combination with meringue is obtained when using Charlotte (a combination of custard and butter). It has a subtle delicate taste and delicate structure, characteristic of a sweet custard sauce. At the same time, it holds its shape perfectly, thanks to the oil, so you can use it to come up with various designs and decorations for the finished cake.

Ingredients for Charlotte cream (based on the amount of protein base indicated above):

Ingredients for Charlotte cream

butter - 1.5-2 packs;
milk - 2 glasses;
yolks - 10 pieces;
granulated sugar - 1.5 cups;
flour or starch - 2 tbsp. without top.

Preparation:

Grind the yolks with sugar and flour into a homogeneous mass, add 0.5 cups of milk. If there are lumps, strain.
Heat the remaining milk in a thick-walled container until almost boiling.
Add the egg mixture to the hot milk and beat everything well. As soon as the sauce thickens, it should be removed from the heat.
After cooking and cooling, butter is added to the cream. Everything is whipped again.

For “Count Ruins”, butter cream with condensed milk is suitable:

butter - 2 packs;
condensed milk - 1 can.

This is a very simple and tasty cream, which is obtained by whipping the main ingredients: butter and condensed milk. It is tender, but at the same time holds its shape well, especially when chilled. It will not change its properties if you add cocoa to it. It will be even tastier with chopped walnuts.

Assembling the cake

Cake "Count's ruins" with meringue, decorated with nuts

A dessert made from protein cookies can be shaped like a sweet mound or formed into a traditional shape, heart, etc. based on pieces of protein cake. And decorate the top with neat meringues, walnuts and prunes. In the first case, the cake really looks like ruins.

Decorations can include coconut shavings and chocolate accessories for decorating baked goods. For this cake, various frozen chocolate figures made by yourself are suitable. They are decorated only after the cake has been in the refrigerator.

Count's ruins cake with meringue and sponge cake

If you want to make the “Count's Ruins” cake for some kind of celebration, then there is no better option than a combination of meringue and sponge cake. The biscuit base is at the bottom. It is soaked in syrup or honey and sandwiched with any cream. Meringues in the form of ruins are placed on top and also layered with cream.

There is another option, when sponge cakes are baked and the protein mass is dried. Everything is broken into small pieces, which are then dipped in cream and laid out in any convenient way.

The entire structure is generously sprinkled with walnuts, cashews or hazelnuts, and then drizzled with dark chocolate glaze. The count's ruins with sour cream are especially good. A sauce made from powdered sugar and sour cream gently soaks the biscuit base.

Let's prepare the cake crust

For the combined “Count Ruins” we will prepare a classic chocolate sponge cake. It will require:

flour - 200 g;
sugar - 200 g;
eggs - 6 pieces;
cocoa - 1 tbsp;
starch - 1 tbsp.

Cooking will take a lot of time:

Mix flour and starch in a bowl.
Mix sugar and cocoa in a separate container.
Separate the whites from the yolks.
Beat the whites with a mixer until they form peaks.
As soon as this happens, you need to gradually pour the mixture of sugar and cocoa into the mixer bowl, continuing to beat.
Once the mixture is whipped to stiff peaks, you need to add the yolks and beat too. The resulting mass should not spill out if the bowl is turned over.
Now you need to mix the flour and egg foam with a spatula, trying to do it carefully so that the mass does not fall off.
The resulting mixture is prepared in a baking dish for about an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees. More precise cooking time can be found by checking the biscuit with a match or toothpick.
The baked cake for the “Count's Ruins” is cooled and cut lengthwise into several pieces.

Let's prepare meringue and cream

Meringues will decorate the delicious biscuit base on top. In order to prepare them, you need to take:

6 proteins;
300 g sugar.

Meringue is made like this:

The whites are whipped into a thick foam. It should retain its shape well when taken out with a spoon.
Afterwards, sugar is gradually added to the proteins. This must be done little by little so that the whites do not fall off. Start with half a spoon and increase the amount to several spoons.
As soon as the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has turned boiling white, place it in a piping bag.
Place small meringues on a baking sheet.
The oven is turned on at a temperature of 80-100 degrees. If there is no convection mode, then you need to open the door slightly. This way the fluffy cookies will dry out rather than fry.
In order for it to dry not only outside, but also inside, it will take 1-1.5 hours. If the meringues are large, then it will take more time.

While the protein mass is drying, you can make the sweet sauce, which will not only soak the biscuits, but also mix with the meringues. For this purpose, nothing is better than Charlotte.

To prepare Charlotte with condensed milk you will need:

butter - 1.5 packs;
milk - 1.5 cups;
yolks - 6 pieces (they will remain after beating the whites);
condensed milk - 5-7 tbsp;
flour - 1 tbsp.

Beat the yolks a little, add the ingredients: condensed milk and flour.
Mix everything until the lumps disappear. If it doesn’t work, strain through a sieve.
Boil the milk and pour in the mixture, whisking.
Transfer again to the bowl where the milk was heated and cook until thickened. This usually takes from 1 to 3 minutes.
The mixture should be cooled, and the butter, on the contrary, should be left to soften.
Combine butter and sweet custard sauce.

Assembling and decorating the count's ruins cake

Cake "Count's Ruins" with meringue and sponge cake

Assembling the Count's Ruins cake with sour cream step by step:

We soak the biscuit with any favorite mixture: honey, juice, coffee, milk, alcohol.
Each one needs to be spread with cream and the cakes need to be fastened together.
Place the meringue on the cake in a heap as follows: take the cookies, spread cream on the bottom and “stick” it on the previous layer.
The top of this piece can be decorated with nuts. To do this, chop 50 g of nuts by hand using a knife and sprinkle on the meringue. The remaining cookies are used to decorate the sides of the cake using cream.
The design of the classic version of the "Count's Ruins" includes decoration with glaze. Melt a chocolate bar with 2-3 tablespoons of milk or cream and pour the cooled mixture on top.

It’s not at all difficult to prepare real “Count’s ruins”. The only difficulty is finding free time. But the result is completely justified. Let's look at a few possible mistakes that inexperienced beginners make:

Cake "Count's Ruins" with meringue and nuts

They often don’t know which dessert option to choose. Preparing meringue, as well as sponge cake, requires increased care. Therefore, you need to decide based on the availability of free time. Baking a sponge cake will take less time.
The homemade “Count's Ruins” dessert turns out truly wonderful only if high-quality products are selected and the process is followed. For example, sour cream cream will not work if you take the liquid store-bought equivalent.
Inexperienced cooks are often faced with the question: should they put nuts in meringue or not? Whipped whites will sink if you weigh them down with any extraneous ingredients. The meringues won't turn out that beautiful. Therefore, there are 2 options: sprinkle chopped nuts on each layer of the cake or be content with nondescript meringues.
One of the secrets to success, which anyone who has tried “Count's Ruins” will tell you, is to let the cake sit for several hours. How long should it steep? The best time for soaking is from 3 to 8 hours. Some people leave it overnight.

The cream is also prepared in different ways. It depends both on the base and on the taste of the pastry chef. For example, the Count's Ruins cake without sour cream is most often prepared for sponge cake. A universal cream for all types of foundation is Charlotte and oil.

Airy meringue and a surprisingly delicate structure are the distinctive features of the exquisite “Count's Ruins” cake. Of course, you can easily buy this dessert in the supermarket, but if you cook it yourself, you will get a truly amazing masterpiece.

Observe the proportions, follow the instructions, and “The Count's Ruins” will turn out great even for an inexperienced cook.

Classic recipe for the Count's Ruins cake with meringue

Kitchenware: containers of various depths and sizes; kitchen scales and measuring accessories; food processor, blender or mixer; two teaspoons; baking paper; a saucepan or saucepan with a thick bottom; whisk; non-stick frying pan; kitchen knife and cutting board; flat large dish.

Ingredients

Step-by-step preparation

Let's prepare the meringue

Let's prepare the cream

Pour 180-200 ml of milk into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Place four yolks in a separate deep container. Add 100-130 g of sugar, 17-20 g of starch, 12-15 g of cocoa powder and 10-13 g of vanilla sugar.
Mix all ingredients well with a whisk until smooth and the cocoa lumps completely disappear.
Stirring the resulting mass intensively, pour in hot milk in a thin stream. Pour the resulting homogeneous liquid mass back into the saucepan and place on low heat.
Constantly and quite intensively stirring the mass, bring it to thickening.
Cool the finished cream to room temperature, stirring it from time to time to avoid the formation of a crust.
While the custard is cooling and the meringue is preparing, lightly fry 100-140 g of peeled nuts in a preheated frying pan.
Let the nuts cool slightly, then finely chop them with a knife.
Place 180-200 g of pre-softened butter into a clean container. Beat the butter with a mixer at high speed for one minute.
Without stopping beating for a second, add the cooled custard one tablespoon at a time to the butter until it’s all mixed in.

Assembling the cake

Video recipe for meringue cake “Count's Ruins”

After watching the video below, you will learn how to prepare the “Count's Ruins” cake at home, as described in the recipe above, and learn how to properly prepare a delicate cream for it.

When separating the yolks from the whites, make sure that not even a tiny particle of yolk gets into the container with the whites.
In order for the whites to whip better, put them in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes; when cold they become fluffy faster.
Experienced chefs recommend adding a pinch of salt to the whites while preparing the meringue - this will make the mass much fluffier.
In order to understand whether the meringue is ready for baking, you need to turn the bowl of whipped egg whites over, and if the mass holds its shape and does not fall out, then everything is fine and the meringue can be cooked.

Recipe for the cake "Count's ruins" with sour cream

Cooking time: 1:15-1:25.
Calorie content (per 100 g): 372-376 kcal.
Number of servings: from 7 to 10.
Kitchenware: several containers of various sizes and depths; measuring utensils and kitchen scales; sharpened knife; whisk; blender or mixer; food processor; round baking dish; baking paper; cutting board; glass dish with high sides; fine grater.

Ingredients

selected chicken egg	2 pcs.
granulated sugar	420-440 g
sour cream (fat content not less than 15%)	980-1050 ml
condensed milk	180-200 ml
premium wheat flour	380-410 g
salt	1 pinch
baking soda	6-8 g
vinegar	10-12 ml
sunflower oil	7-10 ml
cocoa powder	13-15 g
medium ripe banana	2 pcs.
large ripe kiwi	3 pcs.
dark chocolate	45-55 g
shelled walnuts	25-35 g

Step-by-step preparation

Let's prepare and bake the dough

Let's prepare the cream

Assembling the cake

Video recipe for the “Count Ruins” cake with sour cream and condensed milk

If you want to learn how to quickly prepare the Count's Ruins cake with condensed milk and sour cream, check out the video below.

In Soviet times, a biscuit dessert called “Natasha” cake was extremely popular. I suggest you try the classic Soviet-era recipe.
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“Day and Night” cake will meet your expectations at any festive event. An unusual, decent-looking dessert will amaze everyone with its taste and splendor.
The Armenian “Mikado” cake is an incredibly tasty treat that is easy and quick to prepare and retains its fresh appearance for a long time.

Until new sweet meetings! If you have other recipes for making the Count's Ruins cake, please share the information with me. I just can't resist trying something new! Also tell us if you liked the dessert prepared according to the recipes described above. Health and happiness to you!