Somlói Galuska
Somlói galuska takes its name from Mount Somló in western Hungary, a volcanic wine region, though the exact link between the dessert and the mountain remains unclear — some stories say it was created by a waiter wanting to honor the wine region. The dessert was invented in the 1950s at the Gundel restaurant in Budapest, one of the country's most prestigious culinary institutions, by pastry chef Károly Gollerits. Unlike many neatly sliced layer cakes, somlói galuska is traditionally served in its natural, messy form — a generous mix of crumbled sponge, rum syrup, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, arranged in a glass or deep plate. Its contrasting textures and flavor combination have made it one of the most beloved desserts in modern Hungarian cuisine.
Three sponge cakes
Layers of plain, cocoa and walnut sponge, crumbled.
Rum-soaked
Each layer is generously drizzled with rum-scented syrup.
Warm chocolate sauce
A thick chocolate sauce is poured on top.
Whipped cream and cherries
Finished with whipped cream and candied sour cherries.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 6 eggs
- 180g sugar
- 180g flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 50g ground walnuts
- 100ml rum
- 150g sugar for syrup
- 300ml heavy cream
- 150g dark chocolate
- 100ml milk
- Candied sour cherries
How to make it
- 1BAKE SPONGE: Beat the eggs with sugar, divide the mixture into three, add cocoa to one and ground walnuts to another, bake three separate sheets for 15 minutes at 180°C.
- 2MAKE SYRUP: Boil sugar with water until dissolved, remove from heat and add rum.
- 3CRUMBLE AND SOAK: Coarsely crumble each sponge and drizzle it generously with the rum syrup.
- 4MAKE CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Melt the chocolate with milk over a bain-marie until smooth.
- 5LAYER: Arrange alternating layers of plain, cocoa and walnut sponge in glasses or a tray, drizzling each layer with warm chocolate sauce.
- 6FINISH WITH CREAM: Whip the cream until firm and add it generously on top.
- 7DECORATE: Garnish with candied sour cherries and grated chocolate before serving cold.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
