Prague Kolach Cake (Pražský koláč)

When you walk around Prague and get a craving for something sweet, you probably think first of Trdelník, a chimney cake that you can buy at a stand on the street. But I have another tip for you. Go to the nearest bakery and buy a Prague kolach! Wondering what this cake is? Let's talk more!

➜ What is Prague Kolach Cake

Prague kolach is a sweet treat—a yeast cake topped with crunchy cinnamon Drobenka crumble and generously filled with vanilla buttercream. When made at home, it typically takes the form of a large cake, about 10–11 inches (25–28 cm) across. But step into a bakery, and you will discover a charmingly smaller version, perfectly sized to fit in the palm of your hand.

➜ History and origin

You may have heard that the Czech Republic is the birthplace of a world-famous culinary marvel—the delicious round kolache. Every region has its own version. There are Haná, Chodsko, Šumava, or Moravian kolache. And Prague kolach is one such specialty!

Prague kolach made its debut in bakeries in the second half of the last century. Coming from northern Bohemia myself, I can attest that nowhere else have I encountered this pastry like in Prague's shops.

It is worth noting that the identity of the ingenious baker who first brought this unique cake to Prague remains a mystery. Some even speculate that the cake was inspired by the French tarte tropézienne, a delectable pastry made from brioche dough.

Whatever the case, if you are in Prague and craving something sweet and authentic, you can't go wrong with a piece of Prague kolach!

➜ What do you need to make Prague kolach cake

I divided the ingredients into three parts. First is the yeast dough with mayonnaise, then the vanilla buttercream, and finally the cinnamon sprinkles.

Yeast dough

• All-purpose flour; or plain flour. Learn more about Czech flours and their replacements.
• Lukewarm whole milk
• Active dry yeast
• Whole egg + more to eggwash the kolach
• Granulated sugar
• Plain mayonnaise; I used Hellmann's mayo
• A pinch of salt

Remove the eggs and mayonnaise from the refrigerator one and a half hours before using to bring them to room temperature.

Vanilla buttercream

• Whole milk
• Cornstarch; do not consufe with potato starch
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla essence
• Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature
• Whipping cream; fat content of about 36%. Should be cold from the refrigerator before whipping.

Cinnamon crumble on top

• Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Ground cinnamon powder; for baking, I prefer Ceylon cinnamon

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

Kitchen equipment: to bake a Prague kolach, you will need a baking tray at least 12 inches (30 cm) wide, baking paper, a large serrated knife to cut through the cake, and a pastry spatula to spread the buttercream.

➜ How to make Prague kolach

Make ahead: About two hours before preparing the dish, remove the butter, eggs, and mayonnaise from the fridge to bring them to room temperature. Just before starting, heat the milk until it's lukewarm.

Making yeast dough

STEP 1: Begin by placing the flour in a mixing bowl and making a well in the center. Pour roughly 2/3 of the lukewarm milk, combined with half a teaspoon of sugar, into the well. Add the yeast. Using a fork, gradually incorporate a small amount of flour into the milk mixture in the center until a semi-liquid dough forms.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until the yeast becomes bubbly.

STEP 2: In the bowl with the activated yeast, add the remaining lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, mayo, and egg.

Knead on medium speed for 10 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. After this time, the dough will be smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.

STEP 3: Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and shape into a ball. Pull the edges out from the sides and bring them together over the center of the dough. Then gently turn the dough ball over, seam side down.

STEP 4: Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes.

STEP 5: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the raised dough to the center and flatten slightly to a height of about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm). Cover and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Making vanilla buttercream

STEP 6: While the dough is rising, let's make the buttercream. Pour the milk for the cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once the milk is lukewarm to warm, pour half of it into a clean bowl and whisk in the cornstarch, sugar and vanilla essence.

STEP 7: Once the remaining milk on the stove reaches a boil, take the saucepan off the heat and blend in the sweet milk mixture with the cornstarch. Place it back on the stove, lower the heat to simmer, and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

STEP 8: Allow the cream base to cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally to encourage cooling and prevent skin from forming on the surface.

STEP 9: Whip the cream. This works best in a narrower, taller container with an electric mixer equipped with whisk attachments.

Note: Remember that the colder the cream, the easier it is to whip.

STEP 10: Using the same whisk, gradually incorporate the softened butter into the cooled cream base. Finally, fold in the whipped cream by hand. Place the buttercream in the refrigerator.

Making cinnamon crumble

STEP 11: To make the crumbles, combine the sugar, butter, flour, and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Work with your fingers until the ingredients form clumps.

Finishing the kolach

STEP 12: Brush the proofed kolach on all sides with beaten egg and generously sprinkle with cinnamon crumbs. Bake in a 350°F / 175°C preheated oven for 25 minutes. Let the kolach cool on a cooling rack.

STEP 13: Using a large serrated knife, slice the cooled cake and spread the buttercream evenly to the edges with a pastry spatula. Cover and chill for approximately an hour.

MY TIP: For a stunning presentation, transfer the buttercream to a piping bag and carefully pipe it onto the kolach. For the most visually pleasing result, concentrate on piping the buttercream around the perimeter of the cake.

➜ How to serve

Slice the chilled kolach into wedges and arrange them on a platter for serving. The final cake will measure approximately 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, yielding around 8 servings when cut.

➜ Useful tips

• For those who enjoy experimenting, consider baking six to eight small kolache instead of one large Prager cake. Simply divide the dough into 6 or 8 individual balls after turning it out of the kneading bowl (see step 3 above), and proceed with the recipe as usual.
• Any leftover kolach can be covered with cling film and stored in the fridge, where it will remain fresh for up to five days.
• You can also freeze the Prague kolach, but be aware that the quality of the buttercream may degrade. Use within three months. Allow the kolach to defrost slowly on the kitchen counter. You will need at least two hours at room temperature.

More Czech cake recipes

• Yeast bundt cake with poppy seed filling (Maková bábovka)
• No bake apple jelly cake (Jablečný dort)
• Zucchini spice cake (Cuketový perník)
• Czech tied kolache (Vázané koláče)