Perast Cake
You can only visit so many medieval churches, fortresses, palaces, and other historical must-see sites before it gets to you. Food is an often-overlooked and underestimated part of a country’s cultural identity but it is probably the single best way to learn about a country’s heart and soul.
You travel to relax and eat tasty local food. For example, did you know about Perast Cake? It’s a deliciously juicy almond cake with a firm and crumbly texture and has only recently been added to the list of Montenegro’s Intangible Cultural Heritage besides Njegusi Prosciutto and Leafy Cheese from Kolasin.
Perast Cake is tender, perfectly moist, with a strong and nutty almond flavor. It’s naturally spiced up with cherry liquor, and very palatable served with a cup of tea or coffee.
Perast Cake is the oldest and certainly one of the tastiest culinary delicacies in the incredibly picturesque region that makes up the Bay of Kotor. No major celebration in Perast and Kotor cannot do without a special occasion festive treat. Perast Cake has become indispensable – the linchpin of all local holidays.
The delicious cake is thought to have originated in wealthy sea captains’ households in the 17th and 18th centuries, when Perast was an important trading hub between the Venetians and Ottomans, with a reputable naval academy that had educated hundreds of officers from as far away as the Russian Empire.
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor is a vast, fjord-like inlet, dotted with traditional Mediterranean coastal settlements and engulfed by breathtaking nature.
Kotor
Surrounded by centuries-old city walls which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kotor offers pristine Mediterranean charm.
Seafaring has been central to Montenegrin history and part of local culture for centuries, and husbands often stayed away from their families for several months at a time. To make their stay on board more pleasurable, Perast’s housewives came up with the recipe for Perast Cake, incorporating exotic ingredients like sugar and cherry liquor into the recipe.
Due to the batter’s lack of flour or aeration, its tough, sturdy crust makes it a long-lasting, on-the-go snack for sailors on long ocean voyages and adventures. And nearly everyone would agree that its substantial firmness makes it the perfect companion for a warm cup of grog, tea, or cappuccino.
Perast Cake can also be considered a symbol of wealth and status, serving the dual purpose of making seafarers not forget about their wives and families while far away across the sea, and also honoring or impressing guests at home. To this day, it is the perfect crowd-pleaser for birthdays and special family events, and it is still common for the recipe to get passed down from one generation to the next.
This Queen of Boka’s Deserts, as it is often referred to by locals, is rich and moist at the same time, all the while being incredibly aromatic, lifted with a sweet-sour citrus drizzle. Ground almonds are used for the filling, packed with fragrant pine nuts, lemon juice, and Maraschino cherry liquor.
Perast
Discover Perast, one of Montenegro’s most picturesque coastal towns, located on the shores of the Bay of Kotor, overlooking two scenic islands.
Perast Cake Recipe
Heat the oven to 180°C and mix sugar and flour, then add cold butter cut into small cubes, egg yolk, and a spoon of water to make a light breadcrumb texture with the help of a fork. Then knead the dough properly until it is even and smooth. Add water as required.
Cake Batter:
200g of all-purpose flour
- 100g of unsalted butter
40g of white sugar
1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon cold water
Divide the dough into two parts line a 20-cm round cake pan and then very lightly grease the baking pan using butter. Place parchment paper into the pan and grease the parchment round too. Use one part of the cake batter and place it evenly on the bottom and sides.
Almond Paste:
250g of ground almonds
- 150g of ground pine nuts
250g of white sugar
6 egg whites
- 30ml of lemon juice
- 30ml of Maraschino cherry liquor (or rum)
- lemon zest
- vanilla extract
For the Almond Paste, fold in sugar, and vanilla extract, and beat the egg whites well into the snow. Add the pine nuts, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, and the Maraschino liquor, and gradually add the ground almonds and mix slowly. Pour the almond paste into the cake pan.
Roll the dough out into a 20-cm circle and cut into strips. Place the strips in a grid pattern over the almond paste and bake for 50 minutes until golden. Cover it with aluminum foil and serve after two days.
Best Restaurants in Perast
Try Perast Cake in one of Perast’s Restaurants. Feast on exquisite Montenegrin and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as stunning views of the Bay of Kotor.
Conte Restaurant Perast
Offering more than just your afternoon cappuccino and Perast Cake, Conte Restaurant Perast showcases a spectacular range of Adriatic specialties.