Hungarian / Central European · Layer cake slice

Žerbo kocke

Four thin yeast-pastry layers sandwich walnut and apricot jam, then bake fully, cool completely and receive a dark chocolate glaze before cutting.

Serbian National Dishes
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Žerbo kocke
Yield 24 squares
Preparation time 55 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Passive time 150 minutes
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Žerbo kocke with yeast pastry, walnut, apricot jam and dark chocolate glaze

Žerbo kocke are the Serbian-language form of a Central European cake better known in Hungarian as Zserbó and internationally through the Gerbeaud name. Its connection is Budapest and Hungarian confectionery, not a claim of Serbian invention. The pastry nevertheless belongs comfortably in the regional baking repertoire because the same defining combination—thin yeast dough, walnut, apricot jam and chocolate—has travelled widely across neighbouring kitchens.

Those four elements are not decorative options. Yeast in the dough distinguishes the base from an ordinary shortcrust bar; walnuts give the dry nut layer; apricot jam provides moisture and acidity; dark chocolate closes the top after baking. Removing one changes the identity more than adjusting the number of layers or the precise sweetness. Here four dough sheets enclose three walnut-and-jam layers and fit a 23 × 33 cm tin.

The dough behaves differently from bread dough. Butter, sour cream, sugar and egg make it rich and tender, so lengthy kneading would not improve it. Once the ingredients form a smooth cool mass, a 30-minute rest gives the flour time to hydrate and makes rolling easier. The dough is then divided by weight so the four sheets can be rolled to comparable thickness.

Assembly works best when jam and walnut are controlled separately. Thick apricot jam should spread without watery separation, while the ground walnuts are mixed with sugar so their distribution is even. Taking both close to the edges prevents dry border pieces, but leaving a very narrow margin keeps filling from burning against the tin. The top sheet closes the stack without an additional filling layer.

Baking must reach the centre dough. A light top colour is only one sign because the lower sheets are insulated by jam and walnut. At 180 °C, the slab remains in the oven until a skewer passed through a dough-only area comes out without raw paste and the top feels set. The next stage is not glazing; it is complete cooling. Chocolate spread on a warm cake loses definition and can soak into the top.

Only after the tin is fully cool is the dark chocolate melted with a little butter and spread thinly across the surface. The glaze then needs its own setting interval. Cutting during either cooling or setting smears the clean layered cross-section that makes Žerbo visually legible. Once set, a warmed dry knife can pass through chocolate and pastry with less cracking.

Practical

Practical

  • Weigh the dough piecesFour similar sheets give a more even bake and cleaner layered slices.
  • Use thick apricot jamWatery jam can flood the walnut layer and create tacky seams.
  • Respect both waits after bakingComplete cooling comes before glazing, and glaze setting comes before cutting.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Yeast pastry

  • 450 g plain wheat flour
  • 7 g instant dry yeast
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 200 g pasteurized unsalted butter, cool and diced
  • 100 g pasteurized sour cream
  • 50 g pasteurized whole egg, beaten
  • 3 g fine salt

Walnut and apricot layers

  • 250 g walnut kernels, finely ground
  • 120 g granulated sugar
  • 300 g apricot jam, smooth and thick

Chocolate glaze

  • 180 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 20 g pasteurized unsalted butter
Directions

Directions

Directions

  1. Make the enriched doughMix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, rub in the cool diced butter, then add the pasteurized sour cream and beaten pasteurized egg. Work only until smooth and cohesive. The dough is ready when it is smooth and cohesive but still cool, with no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

  2. Rest before rollingCover the dough and leave it for 30 minutes. The rested dough should roll without springing back strongly or cracking at the edges.

  3. Prepare the fillingsStir the ground walnuts and sugar together until uniform and mix the apricot jam separately until easy to spread. The walnut mixture should be evenly combined and the jam should spread without watery separation.

  4. Build four dough layersDivide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll the first to fit the 23 × 33 cm lined tin, spread one third of the jam and one third of the walnut mixture, and repeat until the fourth dough sheet closes the top. The assembled slab should have four dough sheets of similar thickness, with filling reaching close to the edges but not spilling over them.

  5. Bake the centre fullyHeat the oven to 180 °C and bake for 35 minutes. Check the centre through an area where the probe or skewer passes mainly through dough rather than a pool of jam. The centre dough is cooked through when a skewer pushed through a dough-only area comes out without raw paste and the top feels set.

  6. Cool completelyPlace the tin on a wire rack and leave the cake undisturbed for 90 minutes before making the glaze. The cake is fully cool when the centre of the tin no longer feels warm underneath.

  7. Spread the chocolate glazeMelt the dark chocolate with the 20 g butter in a heatproof bowl, stir smooth and spread a thin layer over the fully cool slab. The glaze should form a continuous thin layer with no exposed dry patches.

  8. Let the glaze setLeave the cake for 30 minutes without cutting or covering the chocolate surface. The glaze is set when a light fingertip touch at the edge leaves no wet chocolate.

Practical

Practical

Cutting and serving

Once the glaze has set, use a warm dry knife to cut 24 squares. Wipe the blade between cuts so chocolate does not drag through the apricot and walnut layers. Small portions suit the richness better than large cake slices.

Make-ahead

Žerbo is well suited to baking ahead because the slab must cool and the glaze must set before it can be portioned. It can be completed the day before serving and kept covered only after the chocolate surface is firm.

Storage and freezing

Keep the finished squares in a well-sealed container at cool room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap individual squares and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw while wrapped before exposing the chocolate surface to room air.

Control points

Control points

  • The layers slide under the knifeGuidance: The slab was still warm or the glaze had not set.Adjustment: Complete both waiting periods before cutting.
  • The centre dough is tackyGuidance: The top colour developed before the inner sheet finished.Adjustment: Use the centre skewer test and keep the slab in the oven until no raw paste remains.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving size1 of 24 squares
  • Calories320 kcal
  • Carbohydrates35 g
  • Protein5 g
  • Fat19 g
  • Fibre2 g
  • Sodium60 mg

These figures are approximate and will vary with brands, trimming, absorption and exact portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains gluten from wheat, walnuts, dairy and egg. Use pasteurized butter, sour cream and egg. Dark chocolate may also declare soy depending on the brand, so check the label when that allergen matters.

FAQ

FAQ

Is Žerbo Serbian in origin?

No. Žerbo/Zserbó is tied to Hungarian and Budapest confectionery history, while the Serbian name reflects its place in a wider regional baking repertoire.

Why does the dough contain yeast if the layers stay thin?

The dough is highly enriched and rolled thin, so the yeast contributes tenderness and slight lift without turning the cake into a tall bread-like crumb.

Result: Neat squares with thin baked pastry, walnut and apricot layers under a firm dark chocolate top.

Key: Keep the layers even, bake the centre fully, then separate cooling from glaze setting before the first cut.