Sampita

Name: Sampita
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 20 servings
Ingredients: 10 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 5 tablespoons milk; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; Pinch of salt; 3 1/4 cups sugar; 3/4 cup water; 8 egg whites; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Pinch of salt; 1/2 ounce chocolate, grated

Recipe from Jasmina Bojic

Adapted by Francis Lam

Sampita — Grant Cornett for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Theo Vamvounakis.

Total Time: 1¼ hours, plus several hours of rest
Rating: 5(61)
Notes: Read community notes

This traditional Montenegrin dessert, adapted from Jasmina Bojic, is a kind of open-faced marshmallow sandwich. The syrup from the meringue seeps into the cake as it rests, befitting Montenegro's position between layer-cake-loving Central Europe and the syrup-soaked pastry traditions of the Mediterranean. Serve with strong coffee to balance the sampita's rich sweetness. —Francis Lam

Featured in: With Sugar on Top

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Ingredients

Yield:20 servings

For the Cake

10large egg yolks
½cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1teaspoon vanilla extract
5tablespoons milk
2tablespoons vegetable oil
½cup all-purpose flour
1½teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt

For the Meringue

3¼cups sugar
¾cup water
8egg whites
1teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
½ounce chocolate, grated

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 325. In a 5-quart stand-mixer bowl, combine the yolks, sugar and vanilla, and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture is very pale and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
Step 2
Reduce mixer speed to low, combine the milk and oil in a cup and add to the yolk mixture in a steady stream.
Step 3
Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl, and gently fold into yolks just until combined.
Step 4
Line a greased 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with greased parchment (or dust with a little flour). Pour in the batter, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cake in the pan until just warm, run the tip of a knife around the edge, then remove cake to a platter or baking sheet.
Step 5
Make the meringue: Thoroughly clean and dry the mixer bowl and whisk attachment, and set up the mixer. Place the sugar in a heavy, large saucepan, then gently pour in the water. Set over high heat, and bring to a boil without stirring. If sugar splashes on the sides of the pan, clean it off with a wet pastry brush. Boil syrup to soft-ball stage (235 degrees) until it becomes visibly thicker, with slower, bigger bubbles, 5 to 7 minutes after it comes to a full boil. Remove the pan from heat, and let cool for 2 minutes.
Step 6
While the syrup cooks, add the egg whites, vanilla and salt to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed for 2 minutes, and then medium for another 4 to 5, or until the egg whites hold fluffy, stiff peaks. (Adjust the heat under the syrup or turn off the mixer longer than the other.)
Step 7
With the mixer running on medium-high, slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites, avoiding the whisk. The meringue will come almost to the very top of a 5-quart bowl. Continue beating the meringue after all the syrup is incorporated until it cools to just warm (test by touching the mixer bowl), 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 8
Spread meringue evenly over and around the sides of the cake, and top with chocolate shavings. Let rest, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours. It will be rich and gooey, but sliceable. After an overnight rest, the sampita will be fluffier and less gooey and will slice more cleanly. Serve with Turkish or other strong coffee.

Ratings

5 out of 5

61 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

riverdalite6 years ago

My sister made this yesterday for dinner tonight to celebrate two birthdays. It is a thing of beauty. I thought it would be cloying, but it wasn’t. It was just delicious.

Jasna4 years ago

A number of things can go wrong with egg whites. One of the most common is if the mixing bowl (and beater) aren’t completely clean and dry. I tend to “cheat” by adding cream of tartar. I also use an instant read thermometer to make sure the sugar and water heat up to the right temperature.

DKS3 years ago

The kids loved it - it was super easy to make but for me it was way to much of a one note of marshmallow sweetness. I halved the cake and the meringue which was fine. Will drizzle chocolate over it next time for more of a contrast. It was exciting however to make a dish from Montenegro.

Kate4 years ago

Can anyone say whether coconut oil would work OK instead of vegetable oil,and instead of grated chocolate, dusting some cocoa on the top?

Tina3 years ago

I used both grated chocolate and cocoa powder. I think it would be fine with only cocoa but we enjoyed the combo.

Helen4 years ago

I make this for Passover with matzoh cake meal and kosher for Passover baking powder. (One of our seders is fish so we can have desserts with milk, cream, and butter.) The first time I served it, I had to encourage the kids to taste a little piece. They came back for big pieces and expect it for dessert each year.

abrowngirl4 years ago

I made this last night as a surprise for my husband, who is from the former Yugoslavia. He loved it and said it was very authentic. Way too sweet for my taste and I thought I had a sweet tooth... But this was intense! Still, a solid dessert, guests enjoyed it. Need to pay attention to instructions. I might try it once more to make Yugos happy:)

riverdalite6 years ago

My sister made this yesterday for dinner tonight to celebrate two birthdays. It is a thing of beauty. I thought it would be cloying, but it wasn’t. It was just delicious.

Adela6 years ago

I made this last night. After reading the other comments I thought this was a good recipe. It turned out flat, the egg whites didn't go stick and stiff like they should be. It just disappeared. I followed the recipe exactly. Where did I go wrong?

Jasna4 years ago

Marina Lukic6 years ago

Thank you so much love this recipe and it was easy to make my husband loves šampita but I am not good with are measurements this awesome if there is more recipes like this would like to try them thank you again.

Helen6 years ago

I made sampita from this recipe last year for Passover, substituting 1/2 cup cake meal for 1/2 cup flour. The result was excellent and very popular with the children who came back for more after their first skeptical looks at this unusual dessert.

MLC6 years ago

To make gluten free:

I swapped out the flour for King Arthur's gluten free multi-purpose flour and added 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum, and it turned out wonderfully. My family, including the non-celiacs, loved it. Definitely better the second day to allow time for the syrup to seep.

cpsaul6 years ago

This was a perfect ending to our Seder. I swapped out the flour for Passover cake meal and voila. Or 'wala', as I've seen it spelled. The cake layer wasn't as high as the one in the picture, but the syrup seep was perfect.

My company found it a little too sweet until my daughter dressed the meringue with sliced fresh strawberries. Don't know if they grow in Montenegro.

It will now supplant Passover sponge cake for next year's Seder.

W Wang6 years ago

How hot should the syrup be when being added to the meringue? Does it need to be reheated after 2 min of cooling?

Joyce6 years ago

It was still pretty hot after 2 minutes.

Janet Esser6 years ago

But how do you get the cake look like the one in the picture?

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