🇭🇺✨ Hungarian Sour Cherry Cake — Meggyes Piskóta

A classic Hungarian sour cherry sponge cake: light, buttery vanilla cake with tart cherries baked right into the top. 🍒

Makes: 10–12 slices
Prep: 20 min
Bake: 35–40 min

Ingredients

• 500 g sour cherries, pitted and well drained
  • Morello cherries or jarred sour cherries work beautifully
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs or flour, for the cherries
• Powdered sugar, for serving

Method

1. Prepare the cherries: Drain them very well and pat dry. Toss with 2 tablespoons of flour or breadcrumbs. This helps prevent them from sinking completely into the cake.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a roughly 23 × 33 cm baking pan.
3. Whip the eggs: Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy. Gradually add about half the sugar and beat until you have stiff, glossy peaks.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, remaining sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Slowly mix in the melted butter.
5. Combine: Sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold them gently into the yolk mixture. Then carefully fold in the whipped egg whites in 2–3 additions. Don’t overmix.
6. Add the cherries: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Arrange the sour cherries generously over the surface, gently pressing some into the batter.
7. Bake for approximately 35–40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Cool for at least 20 minutes, then dust generously with powdered sugar.

🍒 Hungarian tip: The magic is the contrast between the sweet, fluffy piskóta and the intensely tart meggy (sour cherry). If using very sour cherries, you can sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of sugar over them before baking.