Czechs love sheet cakes, and you can find countless recipes in Czech cookbooks. Every housewife has her favorite recipe. One of the most popular in our family is this sheet cake with three contrasting layers. It tastes delicious and looks impressive!
What Is this Three-layer Sheet Cake
This cake consists of three layers. The bottom layer is made of cocoa shortcrust pastry. The middle is a white layer of tvaroh (farmers' cheese) filling, and the top layer is formed by crispy sponge cake.
Stack the layers on top of each other and bake them all at once in the oven.
In the Czech Republic, we call this cake "tříbarevný koláč".
MY TIP: Try out the Czech makovec poppyseed cake!
Ingredients
The bottom cocoa layer:
- all-purpose flour
- powdered sugar
- unsalted butter
- dark cocoa
- egg
- baking powder
- water
The middle white layer:
- farmers' cheese; Czech use their "tvaroh"
- powdered sugar
- egg yolk
The top layer:
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- vegetable oil
- water
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Instructions with Photos
Start by lining a baking sheet measuring approximately 14x16 inches (35x40 cm) with parchment paper—Preheat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C).
Making the bottom layer
Put all the cocoa dough ingredients in a bowl and work out the shortcrust pastry by hand.
Spread the dough in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. To make the job easier, I helped myself with a small dough roller.
Making the middle layer
Mix the cottage cheese, sugar, and egg yolk into a smooth cream and spread it on the bottom cocoa dough.
Making the top layer
In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until foamy. I used a hand mixer and gradually increased the speed. Beat in the oil and water a little at a time. Mix the flour with the baking powder and gently fold it into the egg mixture.
Baking the sheet cake
Bake the three-layer cake in the oven for about 45 minutes until the top layer is golden brown.
Serving
Let the cake cool completely, the middle farmers' cheese layer will firm up. Then cut into rectangles and serve. You can also dust the top with icing sugar.
This easy-to-serve sheet cake helps feed a crowd, it makes about 20-25 pieces. It's ideal for family gatherings or whenever a large number of friends get together.
Cook's Tips
- In the middle layer, the main ingredient consists of tvaroh (quark). However, this type of fresh cheese is not readily available outside the Czech borders. In the USA, an alternative called farmers' cheese is suitable. It is similar in texture and properties to Czech tvaroh.
- To make sure all the layers are cooked through, bake the cake at a lower temperature for a longer time. An oven preheated to 150 °C and a baking time of around 45 minutes should be fine.
More Czech sheet cakes:
- Kefírka – buttermilk cake
- Míša řezy – black & white cake
- Apricot streusel cake – meruňkový koláč
- Bublanina – fruit coffee cake
- Zucchini spice cake – cuketovy pernik
Tried this recipe?
Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Three Layer Sheet Cake
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
The bottom cocoa layer:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter cut into smaller pieces
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 Tablespoons water
The middle white layer:
- 1 ⅔ pounds farmers’ cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
The top layer:
- 3 medium eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sunflower oil (or canola)
- 6 Tablespoons water
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Start by lining a baking sheet, approximately 14x16 inches (35x40 cm), with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to
320 °F. - Bottom layer: Sift dry ingredients into a bowl: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add pieces of 1 stick unsalted butter3 Tablespoons water and work out the shortcrust pastry by hand.
- Spread the dough in a thin layer on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To make this easier, use a small dough roller.
- Middle layer: Mix 1 ⅔ pounds farmers’ cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 egg yolk into a smooth cream, then spread it over the cocoa dough layer.
- Top layer: In a bowl, whisk 3 medium eggs with 1 cup granulated sugar until foamy, gradually increasing the speed with a hand mixer. Slowly beat in ⅓ cup sunflower oil and 6 Tablespoons water. Whisk 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and gently fold it into the egg mixture.
- Bake the cake: Bake the three-layer cake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top layer is golden brown.
- Let the cake cool completely, allowing the middle farmers' cheese layer to firm up. Then cut into rectangles and serve. You can also dust them with icing sugar.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes about 20-25 pieces.
- Use any baking sheet measuring approximately 14x16 inches.
- The main ingredient in the middle layer is Tvaroh, a type of fresh cheese commonly used in Czech recipes. However, Tvaroh is not readily available outside the Czech Republic. In the USA, a suitable alternative is farmers' cheese, which has a similar texture and properties to Czech tvaroh.
- To ensure all the layers are cooked through, bake the cake at a lower temperature for a longer time.
Marta says
Ahoj Petra,
Thank you for your response to my cream cheese coffee cake inquiry. Yes, I was surprised that in Europe they would not use some source of starch to prevent caking in powdered sugar.
Don't worry about using granulated sugar in the cheese filling. I baked many cheese cakes using farmer or cottage cheese and granulated sugar worked just fine. I have been a long-time collector of international recipes and a passionate baker myself.
My next project was to be your cream cheese coffee cake. But, I went shopping today & the berries in the store did not look good. So, instead, I decided to bake your three-layer sheet cake.
Now, the questions.
{1} I would like to make 1/2 recipe and I have a 9x13x2 inches glass pan (it is not a sheet tray). The area of your pan is 224 square inches. My pan is 117 square inches. Will that work?
{2| Using a glass pan, I don't think I would need parchment paper. But I would grease the pan, correct?
{3} In the bottom cocoa layer, could I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar? If not, I will grind my own.
{4} Also, is one stick (113 grams) of butter about 1/3 cup?
{5} I got different responses online trying to convert 750 grams of farmer cheese to cups. I would guess it's about 3 & 1/4 cups. Is that correct?
Thank you so much for your attention. I will start baking as soon as I hear from you.
Best wishes from the US from Dave & Marta.