karpatka

plural karpatkas

1. countableuncountableA traditional Polish cream pie with some sort of vanilla buttercream filling—aerated butter mixed with eggs beaten and steamed with sugar, aerated butter mixed with crème pâtissière, or thick milk kisel enriched with melted butter.

   Remove the karpatka from the tin and slide it onto a plate (removing the bottom paper) then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

   2025 September 10, Nicola Lamb, “Cherry Karpatka”, in New York Times Cooking, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Sep 2025

   2 more examples

   The fresh goods are mostly brown, and those that aren't, are white, and you've only to look at any of them to feel your thighs double in size. The karpatka – the Polish equivalent of a vanilla slice – is a vast, undulating mattress of custard and puff pastry; the paczki – jam-filled doughnuts – are the size of Jupiter.

   2013 February 16, Rachel Cooke, “Poland – it's the new Provence of food”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2013

   It’s natural to think of karpatka as a winter cake, what with the snow-capped mountain look and all. While the basic version is made with a vanilla mousseline filling, as in the previous recipe, in a country ever seeking ways to use up an abundance of summer fruits, among other ingredients, karpatkas take on many twists.

   2025 October 14, Laurel Kratochvila, “Lemon and Blackberry Karpatka: Karpatka Cytrynowa z Jeżynami”, in Dobre Dobre: Baking from Poland and Beyond, San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, →ISBN