Name: Babka ziemniaczana: Polish Potato Cake with Smoked Bacon
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 104 min
Total time: 159 min
Yield: 8 substantial portions
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 2,000 g peeled floury potatoes, finely grated; 250 g smoked pork bacon, diced; 200 g yellow onion, peeled and finely diced; 2 l arge eggs, about 100 g without shells; 45 g plain wheat flour; 6 g fine salt; 2 g ground black pepper; 2 g dried marjoram; 10 g softened unsalted butter, for the pan; 15 g fine dry breadcrumbs, for the pan

A wide view of „Babka ziemniaczana: Polish Potato Cake with Smoked Bacon“ arranged on a table for serving.

Yield 8 substantial portions

Serving size about 275 g per portion

Difficulty easy to moderate

Category Polish savory potato bake from the Podlaskie tradition; contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk

Ingredients ↓

About babka ziemniaczana

Babka ziemniaczana: Polish Potato Cake with Smoked Bacon

The Polish name babka ziemniaczana refers to a baked potato cake, usually formed in a rectangular pan and cut into browned portions. The Ministry of Agriculture records a Podlaskie version made from grated potatoes, fried pork fat, flour, eggs and onion. The dish is especially associated with Podlaskie and the wider north-east, where recipes vary from one household to another.

The texture comes from the contrast between the browned top and the soft, cohesive potato center. Smoked bacon contributes salt and rendered fat, onion softens as it cooks, and marjoram adds a restrained herbal note. Returning the starch that settles from the grated-potato liquid helps the cake bind without adding extra flour.

Serve it hot after a brief rest so the slices keep their shape. Some cooks also slice and pan-fry leftovers the next day. This version uses a thermometer to check the center because the cake contains raw egg and cooked bacon in a dense casserole; the center should reach 74 °C before serving.

Tips for a good result

Use floury potatoes and grate them finely so the interior sets evenly during the long bake.
Drain the grated potatoes for 10 minutes, pour away only the watery liquid, and return the settled white starch to the bowl.
Cook the bacon fully before adding it to the raw potato mixture; keep all of its rendered fat for flavor and moisture.
Let the onion soften and turn lightly golden in the bacon fat without scorching it.
Butter and breadcrumb-coat the rectangular pan so the cake releases and develops a browned edge.
Check the center with an instant-read thermometer; it must reach 74 °C even if the top is already dark golden.

Ingredients

2,000 g peeled floury potatoes, finely grated
250 g smoked pork bacon, diced
200 g yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
2 l arge eggs, about 100 g without shells
45 g plain wheat flour
6 g fine salt
2 g ground black pepper
2 g dried marjoram
10 g softened unsalted butter, for the pan
15 g fine dry breadcrumbs, for the pan

Method

Directions

Prepare the pan and ovenHeat a conventional oven to 180 °C. Brush the base and sides of a 30 × 20 × 5 cm rectangular pan with the softened butter, then coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs.
Cook the bacon and onionPut the diced bacon in a 30 cm skillet over medium heat. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until browned, fully cooked and its fat has rendered. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Remove the skillet from the heat and keep all the bacon and rendered fat together.
Grate and drain the potatoesPeel and finely grate the potatoes into a 5 L bowl. Transfer the grated potato to a fine-mesh sieve set over a second bowl and leave it for 10 minutes. Pour off the watery liquid without disturbing the white starch settled at the bottom. Scrape that starch back into the grated potatoes.
Mix the potato batterAdd the eggs, flour, salt, black pepper and marjoram to the grated potatoes and mix thoroughly. Fold in the cooked bacon, onion and all the rendered fat until evenly distributed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and level the surface without packing it tightly.
Bake until set and safely cookedBake uncovered for 90–105 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the center is firm. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center; it must reach at least 74 °C. If the top darkens before the center reaches temperature, loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
Rest and serveRest the cake for 10 minutes so it firms enough to slice. Cut it into 8 rectangular portions and serve hot.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeabout 275 g
Caloriesabout 415 kcal
Carbohydratesabout 51 g
Proteinabout 12 g
Fatabout 15 g
Fibreabout 6 g
Sodiumabout 760 mg

Estimated for one eighth of the finished cake using generic food-composition data. Bacon fat and sodium vary by product, and potato moisture changes the finished weight. Values are rounded estimates, not a laboratory analysis.

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage, reheating, and make-ahead: Serve the cake hot after its 10-minute rest. Leftover slices can be reheated in a skillet until hot throughout; check that the center reaches 74 °C.

Serving, storage, reheating, and make-ahead: Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days. Freezing is not recommended: the Polish Traditional Products List notes that its registered potato-babka product does not lend itself to freezing, and the texture can deteriorate. For make-ahead preparation, cook the bacon and onion in advance and refrigerate them promptly. Grate and drain the potatoes and assemble the batter just before baking to limit oxidation and liquid separation.

Contains wheat/gluten from the flour and breadcrumbs, egg, and milk from the butter. Check product labels for other declared allergens. Keep raw eggs and grated potatoes separate from ready-to-eat food; wash hands, utensils and surfaces after contact. Use refrigerated smoked pork bacon according to its package directions and cook it fully in the skillet before mixing it into the raw egg-and-potato batter. Bake the meat-containing casserole until its center reaches at least 74 °C, checked with an instant-read thermometer. Cool slices in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

Choose a floury potato variety and grate it finely so the thick cake sets evenly.

Keep the bacon’s rendered fat in the mixture and return the settled potato starch after draining; both help the cake hold together.

Babka ziemniaczana: Polish Potato Cake with Smoked Bacon

Tips for a good result

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Polish National Dishes

Kiszka ziemniaczana: Polish potato sausage with smoked bacon

Kapusta z grochem: Polish sauerkraut and peas

Ryba po grecku: Polish fish with tomato vegetables