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3 incredible Hungarian desserts with fruits to celebrate spring — RECIPES
As nature awakens and the days grow longer, there’s no better time to embrace the fresh, vibrant flavours of the season. Spring calls for light, fruity treats that bring joy to the table, and Hungarian desserts offer the perfect blend of tradition and indulgence. From tangy apples to sweet jams, these three incredible Hungarian desserts will add a touch of sunshine to your kitchen. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned baker, there’s something for you here!
Semolina pudding balls with jam
Semolina pudding is a beloved classic across many European countries, but this recipe puts a delightful twist on the traditional dish. While we wouldn’t call this a staple among Hungarian desserts, it is definitely something new to try. Don’t worry if you are just a beginner, this Nosalty recipe is not too hard.
Ingredients
- 500 ml milk
- 140 g semolina
- 50 g sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 50 g butter
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 50 g walnuts
- cinnamon
- 300 g raspberries (but you may use any other fruit)
- 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
Preparation
- Cook the milk, salt, sugar and semolina to a thick paste, then add half the butter and mix. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with foil to keep it fresh and leave to cool completely.
- Grind the walnuts. Melt the other half of the butter in a pan and add the breadcrumbs, walnuts and cinnamon. Fry over a medium heat until golden brown.
- Shape the cooled semolina cream into dumplings with wet hands. Use an ice cream scoop if you have one. Roll the dumplings in the nut crumbs and serve with the raspberry sauce.
- Boil the raspberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan for about 5-7 minutes and serve the dumplings with it.
Mixed-dough apple cake
Personally, mixed-dough cakes are among my favourites, they’re effortless to prepare, yet always a crowd-pleaser. Just a few simple ingredients, a quick mix, and the oven does the rest! This mixed-dough apple cake is a perfect example, combining soft, fluffy batter with juicy apples for a deliciously comforting treat. A classic among Hungarian desserts, this recipe is wonderfully versatile. You can swap apples for pears, plums, or even berries to suit the season. Let’s get baking!
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 220 g sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 225 ml sunflower oil
- 280 g flour
- cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 4 medium apples
- 100 g walnuts (or any other nuts)
Preparation
- Whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until frothy. While stirring constantly, slowly add the oil.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and add to the egg mixture, mixing well.
- Peel and dice the apples and roll them in the batter.
- Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts and bake at 180°C for 40 minutes.
Rákóczi cottage cheese pie
This dessert is a true staple in Hungarian dessert history. I have to admit, it’s one of my favourites, but it does require patience and precision. Only start this recipe if you have at least two hours to spare. While many mistakenly believe that this cottage cheese delicacy was created in honour of the freedom fighter Ferenc Rákóczi, the truth is that it was actually developed much later by master pastry chef János Rákóczi. With its buttery pastry, creamy cottage cheese filling, tangy apricot jam, and delicate meringue topping, Rákóczi cottage cheese pie is a true masterpiece among Hungarian desserts!
Ingredients
Pastry
- 250 g flour
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 1tbsp baking powder
- 2 egg yolks
- 200 g butter (cold)
Cottage cheese cream
- 500 g Hungarian cottage cheese (túró)
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp sour cream (cold)
- lemon zest
- 3 tbsp semolina
Topping
- 4 egg whites
- 200 g icing sugar
- 400 g apricot jam
Preparation
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the egg yolks and cold butter. Knead the dough in quick motions. Be careful to be as quick as possible so that you don’t melt the base of the linzer dough too much with the warmth of your hands.
- Once the dough has come together, wrap it in foil and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the cottage cheese cream.
- Using a stick blender, cream the cottage cheese and then add the other ingredients in order. Add the icing sugar, vanilla sugar, two egg yolks, sour cream and semolina. Add the zest of a lemon and mix. You can add raisins if you like.
- Take a baking pan and press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. If you don’t want it to puff up in any way, prick it with a fork. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12-15 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- When the dough is out of the oven, brush it with the peach jam while it is still warm to protect it from getting soggy. Then spoon the cottage cheese cream over the top and return to the oven for 30 minutes at 150°C.
- Start whisking the egg whites, and add the sugar little by little until it becomes a stiff foam.
- Pour this mixture into a piping bag and use it to draw shapes of your choice on top of the cake. The classic criss-cross pattern is the traditional way to do it. Fill in the remaining holes with the peach jam and return the cake to the oven at 120°C for 20 minutes to allow the topping to set.
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