Cuisine: The Polish Palate
•
Course: Desserts Baking
•
Diet: Vegetarian, High-Carb, Comfort Food

Metrowiec (Polish Metre-Long Chevron Cake)

A spectacular, retro Polish centrepiece built from alternating slices of vanilla and chocolate sponge, bound by silky cooked-custard buttercream and cut on the bias to reveal striking stripes.
Prep time 45m
Temp 170°C (338°F)
Cook time 45m
Rest time 3h
Total 4h 30m
Yield 20
Per serving:
367 kcal
36g Carbs
5g Protein
22g Fat
By Adam Dworak

Brilliant!

You cooked this today. How did it turn out?

Maybe Later

Ingredients

Success!

Ingredients added to your shopping list.

View Shopping List Continue Browsing

Kitchen Kit

  • 25cm Loaf Tin
  • Stand Mixer
  • Whisk
  • Wire rack
  • Saucepan
  • Heatproof Bowl
  • Cling Film
Two loaves of bread on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of berries and a jar of vanilla extract in the | Cook & Keeper - Metrowiec

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 170°C. Grease and line the base and sides of two identical 25cm loaf tins with baking parchment.
  2. Separate the eggs, dropping the whites into a spotlessly clean mixing bowl and the yolks into another.
  3. Tip the fine sea salt into the egg whites and whisk until they hold stiff, proud peaks. Set aside.
  4. Chuck 250g of the caster sugar into the bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale, thick, and smiles at you. While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in the oil and the water to emulsify the fat.
  5. Sift 300g of the plain flour and the baking powder directly over the yolk mixture. Gently fold it through until just incorporated.
  6. Take a third of the whipped egg whites and beat it into the batter to loosen it. Then, carefully and lightly fold in the remaining whites in two batches, being mindful not to knock the air out.
  7. Divide this base batter equally between two bowls. Sift the cocoa powder into one of the bowls and fold it gently until you have a smooth, dark chocolate batter. Leave the other as pure vanilla.
  8. Pour the batters into their respective lined loaf tins. Bang them once on the counter to knock out large air bubbles, then chuck them in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. While the sponges bake, get on with the custard base. Pour 400ml of the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat (this will take about 5 minutes).
  10. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 100ml of cold milk with the remaining 150g of caster sugar, 40g of plain flour, the cornflour, and the vanilla extract until it forms a perfectly smooth slurry.
  11. Pour this cold slurry into the simmering milk, whisking violently over a low heat. It will quickly bubble and thicken into a very heavy paste. Remove from the heat, cover the surface directly with cling film to stop a skin forming, and leave it to cool completely to ambient room temperature.
  12. In a stand mixer, beat 250g of the softened unsalted butter until very pale and fluffy. Begin adding the cooled custard paste a large spoonful at a time, beating continuously, until you achieve a voluminous, silky buttercream.
  13. Trim the crusty ends off your completely cooled sponges, then slice both loaves into perfectly even 1cm-thick slices.
  14. To build the cake, spread a generous spoonful of buttercream onto a slice of vanilla sponge, press a chocolate slice against it, and repeat, alternating colours to form a massive, striped log. Use the remaining buttercream to coat the entire outside of the log, smoothing over the seams.
  15. For the glaze, bash the dark chocolate into pieces and melt it gently with the remaining 50g of butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
  16. Pour the glossy glaze evenly over the cake, letting it drip luxuriously down the sides. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set the structure. When serving, dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and slice the cake at a sharp 45-degree angle to reveal the chevrons.
Chef's Note & Storage
Fridge up to 4 days in an airtight container. The sponge actually softens and hydrates from the buttercream on day two, making it superior to day one. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the butter yields.
00:00
Striped cake with chocolate and vanilla layers on a table with raspberries | Cook & Keeper - Metrowiec

The architecture of scarcity

In the culinary landscape of 1980s Poland, visual theatre was born out of ration-book necessity. Metrowiec—literally the "metre-long cake"—is the undisputed king of PRL-era (Polish People's Republic) baking. It is a trompe l'œil built from the most humble pantry staples: eggs, flour, oil, and a dusting of precious cocoa. By slicing two standard loaf sponges and cementing them back together with a heavy, cooked-flour custard buttercream, home bakers created an epic, sprawling centrepiece that looked impossibly complex. The true magic happens upon serving; when cut on a sharp 45-degree bias, those simple vertical stripes transform into striking, mesmerising chevrons.

CHEF'S SECRET: The "Budyń" (cooked pudding) base for the buttercream is non-negotiable. The secret to a non-cloying, structurally stable Polish buttercream is this cooked milk and flour paste. It must be boiled until violently thick and then cooled to the exact ambient temperature of your butter. Even a single degree of difference between the paste and the butter will cause the emulsion to split.

❖

The geometry of the cut

The entire illusion of this cake relies on your knife skills at the very end. You assemble the cake straight, pressing the slices together like a reconstructed, alternating loaf. But to reveal the iconic zebra pattern on the plate, you must slice it diagonally. Heat your knife blade in boiling water and wipe it bone-dry between every single cut. This melts cleanly through the set dark chocolate glaze and prevents the dark cocoa crumbs from smearing across the pristine yellow vanilla sponge and snow-white buttercream.

Back to Cookbook

Cook’s Notes & Discussion

Be the first to leave a note on this recipe.

Leave a note or ask a question

Metrowiec (Polish Metre-Long Chevron Cake) - Cook & Keeper
Cuisine:The Polish Palate
Course:Desserts, Baking
Diet:Vegetarian, High-Carb, Comfort Food

Metrowiec (Polish Metre-Long Chevron Cake)

By Adam Dworak

A spectacular, retro Polish centrepiece built from alternating slices of vanilla and chocolate sponge, bound by silky cooked-custard buttercream and cut on the bias to reveal striking stripes.

Prep 45m
Temp 170°C
Cook 45m
Rest 3h
Total 4h 30m
Yield 20
Two loaves of bread on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of berries and a jar of vanilla extract in the | Cook & Keeper - Metrowiec

Kitchen Kit

  • •25cm Loaf Tin
  • •Stand Mixer
  • •Whisk
  • •Wire rack
  • •Saucepan
  • •Heatproof Bowl
  • •Cling Film
Per serving:
367 kcal
36g Carbs
5g Protein
22g Fat

Ingredients

  • 6 pcs Eggs
  • 400 g Caster Sugar
  • 2 g Sea Salt
  • 120 ml Vegetable Oil
  • 100 ml Water
  • 340 g Plain Flour
  • 15 g Baking Powder
  • 30 g Cocoa Powder
  • 500 ml Milk
  • 40 g Cornflour
  • 15 ml Vanilla Extract
  • 300 g Unsalted Butter
  • 100 g Dark Chocolate (70%)

Method

Step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Note:
Fridge up to 4 days in an airtight container. The sponge actually softens and hydrates from the buttercream on day two, making it superior to day one. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the butter yields.
Striped cake with chocolate and vanilla layers on a table with raspberries | Cook & Keeper - Metrowiec
  1. Preheat your oven to 170°C. Grease and line the base and sides of two identical 25cm loaf tins with baking parchment.
  2. Separate the eggs, dropping the whites into a spotlessly clean mixing bowl and the yolks into another.
  3. Tip the fine sea salt into the egg whites and whisk until they hold stiff, proud peaks. Set aside.
  4. Chuck 250g of the caster sugar into the bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale, thick, and smiles at you. While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in the oil and the water to emulsify the fat.
  5. Sift 300g of the plain flour and the baking powder directly over the yolk mixture. Gently fold it through until just incorporated.
  6. Take a third of the whipped egg whites and beat it into the batter to loosen it. Then, carefully and lightly fold in the remaining whites in two batches, being mindful not to knock the air out.
  7. Divide this base batter equally between two bowls. Sift the cocoa powder into one of the bowls and fold it gently until you have a smooth, dark chocolate batter. Leave the other as pure vanilla.
  8. Pour the batters into their respective lined loaf tins. Bang them once on the counter to knock out large air bubbles, then chuck them in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. While the sponges bake, get on with the custard base. Pour 400ml of the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat (this will take about 5 minutes).
  10. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 100ml of cold milk with the remaining 150g of caster sugar, 40g of plain flour, the cornflour, and the vanilla extract until it forms a perfectly smooth slurry.
  11. Pour this cold slurry into the simmering milk, whisking violently over a low heat. It will quickly bubble and thicken into a very heavy paste. Remove from the heat, cover the surface directly with cling film to stop a skin forming, and leave it to cool completely to ambient room temperature.
  12. In a stand mixer, beat 250g of the softened unsalted butter until very pale and fluffy. Begin adding the cooled custard paste a large spoonful at a time, beating continuously, until you achieve a voluminous, silky buttercream.
  13. Trim the crusty ends off your completely cooled sponges, then slice both loaves into perfectly even 1cm-thick slices.
  14. To build the cake, spread a generous spoonful of buttercream onto a slice of vanilla sponge, press a chocolate slice against it, and repeat, alternating colours to form a massive, striped log. Use the remaining buttercream to coat the entire outside of the log, smoothing over the seams.
  15. For the glaze, bash the dark chocolate into pieces and melt it gently with the remaining 50g of butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
  16. Pour the glossy glaze evenly over the cake, letting it drip luxuriously down the sides. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set the structure. When serving, dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and slice the cake at a sharp 45-degree angle to reveal the chevrons.

My Tweaks & Notes

DIGITAL PANTRY

Scan to view the high-res gallery & chef's tips.

Recipe QR

History

The architecture of scarcity

In the culinary landscape of 1980s Poland, visual theatre was born out of ration-book necessity. Metrowiec—literally the "metre-long cake"—is the undisputed king of PRL-era (Polish People's Republic) baking. It is a trompe l'œil built from the most humble pantry staples: eggs, flour, oil, and a dusting of precious cocoa. By slicing two standard loaf sponges and cementing them back together with a heavy, cooked-flour custard buttercream, home bakers created an epic, sprawling centrepiece that looked impossibly complex. The true magic happens upon serving; when cut on a sharp 45-degree bias, those simple vertical stripes transform into striking, mesmerising chevrons.

CHEF'S SECRET: The "Budyń" (cooked pudding) base for the buttercream is non-negotiable. The secret to a non-cloying, structurally stable Polish buttercream is this cooked milk and flour paste. It must be boiled until violently thick and then cooled to the exact ambient temperature of your butter. Even a single degree of difference between the paste and the butter will cause the emulsion to split.

❖

The geometry of the cut

The entire illusion of this cake relies on your knife skills at the very end. You assemble the cake straight, pressing the slices together like a reconstructed, alternating loaf. But to reveal the iconic zebra pattern on the plate, you must slice it diagonally. Heat your knife blade in boiling water and wipe it bone-dry between every single cut. This melts cleanly through the set dark chocolate glaze and prevents the dark cocoa crumbs from smearing across the pristine yellow vanilla sponge and snow-white buttercream.