A layered green cake topped with crumbs to look like moss, filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh raspberries

A Journey Through Traditional Polish Baking

Name: Forest Moss Cake: Cream & Spinach (Lesny Mech)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: 340g Fresh Spinach; 3 Eggs, medium; 240g Plain Flour; 200g Whitworths Caster Sugar; 80ml Vegetable Oil; 2tsp Baking Powder; Fruit to Decorate (Seasonal: Raspberries, Pomegranates, Mint, Blueberries, Strawberries); 255g Mascarpone, room temperature; 270ml Double Cream; 4tsp Whitworths Icing Sugar

Polish baking is a delightful journey into the heart of Eastern European culinary tradition. Rooted in centuries-old recipes passed down through generations, Polish baked goods are a celebration of warmth, comfort, and community. From the iconic pierogi stuffed with savoury fillings to the quirkiness of a Leśny Mech cake, each bite tells a story. Polish baking excites the senses and invites you to savour the richness of its flavours. Join us on a delicious adventure as we explore the artistry and flavour in Polish baking.

The Baker

Now to introduce you to our wonderful baker behind this delicious twist on a classic!

Name: Paulina Mizgier
Home country: Poland

The Story Behind the Bake

This bake is very popular in Poland, possibly because of it's unique and quirky look, resembling the forest floor. Therefore, I wanted to share this recipe as it reminds me of being a child back in Poland, as my mum would often bake us a Leśny Mech cake!

Making Leśny Mech brings back so many memories, especially because my own daughter now loves to help me in the kitchen, similar to memories enjoyed with my mother growing up. It's a beautiful way to bond and reconnect with my heritage through baking. As for toppings, I usually go for raspberries but you can get creative and use Pomegranates or Berries instead. It's all about personal preference and what you have at home!

Forest Moss Cake: Cream & Spinach (Lesny Mech)

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

6-8

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

This whimsical and quirky cake mirrors the forest floor and sure to be a crowd pleaser. The unusual flavours of cream and spinach are perfectly offset by fresh fruit to create a perfectly balanced summer dessert!

Author:

Paulina Mizgier

Image of Forest Moss Cake: Cream & Spinach (Lesny Mech)

Ingredients

340g Fresh Spinach
3 Eggs, medium
240g Plain Flour
200g Whitworths Caster Sugar
80ml Vegetable Oil
2tsp Baking Powder
Fruit to Decorate (Seasonal: Raspberries, Pomegranates, Mint, Blueberries, Strawberries)

For the Cream

255g Mascarpone, room temperature
270ml Double Cream
4tsp Whitworths Icing Sugar

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 170°C, grease and line a cake tin
Over medium heat, cook down the spinach. Next, add this to a blender with eggs, flour, sugar and baking powder. Blend until silky smooth.
Pour into cake tin and bake for 40 minutes at 170°C, allow to cool.
While the cake cools, beat the cream until stiff, next mix in the mascarpone and icing sugar until smooth.
One cooled, split the cake into two, making one slice thin and the other thick, using a serrated knife and firm grip.
Smooth the cream mixture over the thicker cake to create a smooth and even covering, next create a dome shape out of the cream and crumble the thin layer of cake and cover the top to create a moss like effect (see recipe image).