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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Vdolky, Czech Fry Cakes

    Published: Feb 19, 2021 · Modified: May 18, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    • 1.1Kshares

    Do you want to taste a piece of a real Czech delicacy? Try a vdolek aka vdoleček, topped with plum jam and sprinkled with grated tvaroh. I have an easy old-fashioned recipe for this cute little fry cake for you. 

    czech vdolek fry cake

    ➜ What Is Czech Vdolek?

    Vdolek is a yeast-raised deep fry cake without filling, but with jam spread on top. It is usually also flavored with some grated tvaroh (quark), a scoop of sour cream, whipped cream, or a similar kind of contrast frosting.

    We have different names for vdolky (plural) in the Czech Republic, such as dolky or vdolečky. 

    Bohemian fried vdolky cakes are also known as Bavorské vdolečky, from the German Bundesland Bavaria, which neighbors the Czech Republic.

    Vdolky also resemble other Czech famous fry cakes, koblihy (which you may know as berliners). However, koblihy are filled with jam inside and don't have any spread on top. 

    You could call a doughnut or a beignet the closest analog to the vdolek in the United States.

    MY TIP: Learn more about Czech pastries!

    ➜ Ingredients

    For fry cake dough, you'll need:

    • Milk; must be lukewarm to activate the yeast
    • Unsalted butter; for enhanced flavor
    • Granulated sugar; to sweeten the dough and feed the yeast
    • Instant yeast; Czechs usually use fresh yeast but vdolky can be made with instant yeast without any problems
    • All-purpose flour
    • Pinch of salt
    • Eggs
    • Rum; for a better taste, our favorite is Czech "tuzemák" or "Božkov"
    • Flour to dust the worktop
    • Vegetable oil for frying

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

    Ingredients for vdolky topping:

    • Plum jam
    • Hard tvaroh

    ➜ Instructions

    Homemade vdolky fry cakes are easy to make, just consider the time the dough needs to rise and the vdolky to fry.

    STEP 1: Flour, yeast, and milk

    • Add the flour to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
    • Place instant yeast into the well, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
    • Pour in about ½ cups of lukewarm milk. Stir the yeast, sugar, milk, and little flour with a wooden spoon.
    • Leave it in a warm place for 30 minutes; the yeast mixture should start bubbling. 
    making yeast dough
    bubbling yeast

    STEP 2: Mix the butter, milk, eggs, sugar

    • Melt the butter and let it cool for a bit.
    • Add it to the rest of the milk in a bowl. The mixture can't be hot, only warm.
    • Add eggs, sugar, a pinch of salt, rum, and whisk everything. 

    STEP 3: Make a dough

    Add the mixture to the flour with proofed yeast and make the dough, either by hand with a wooden spoon or using a kitchen mixer with a proper attachment. The resulting dough should be a bit sticky, not too dense. This helps in making fluffy and pillowy vdolky.

    STEP 4: Let the dough rise

    Let the dough rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes. The dough's volume should be twice as big as before. 

    Read my tip for the guaranteed rising of yeast dough below.

    rised dough

    STEP 5: Cut vdolky cakes

    Dump the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out so that it's about ½ inch thick (not too thin!). Cut the round shapes out with a flipped glass. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and let it rise again for 20-30 minutes until puffy.

    vdolky

    STEP 6: Fry the vdolky

    • Meantime, heat oil for frying in a pot over medium heat. 
    • Before you fry a vdolek, make a shallow dump with your index finger in the middle. Put a vdolek into the hot oil carefully, with the hole facing downwards.
    • Fry until golden brown, then flip the vdolek and fry the second side. It's quick, about 1 minute on each side.
    • Remove fried vdolky from the oil carefully and place it onto a rack. 
    frying vdolky
    fried vdolky

    STEP 7: Garnish vdolky

    Spread the plum jam on the surface of the vdolek on the side with a hole. Sprinkle with grated tvaroh.   

    czech vdolky

    ➜ Topping

    Fried vdolky are usually topped with plum jam and grated tvaroh. Tvaroh is a variety of fresh cheese, a typical ingredient in Czech cuisine.

    I know that tvaroh is hard to find abroad. You can use dry ricotta, a scoop of sour cream or whipped cream instead. Then dust the vdolky with powdered sugar.

    If you really want to go all out with the topping, you can use any tried and trusted cream cheese frosting, which works well for you.

    You can use any type of solid jam instead of plum jam. 

    Here is a traditional český vdolek bought at the Czech Mašek’s bakery:

    český vdolek

    ➜ Cook's Tips

    • The best place for letting the yeast dough rise is an inactive oven. Place a pot with hot water on the bottom of the oven, move the shelf rack grid to the middle position, and put an uncovered bowl with dough on it. Close the oven. This warm and humid environment is the best for yeast dough's safe and guaranteed rising. 
    • Enriched yeast dough like this takes a lot of time to rise due to the amount of butter.
    • When you roll out the dough and make individual fry cakes out of it, avoid adding too much flour, or you'll have very heavy and dense fry cakes.
    • The hole in the middle of the fry cake should not go through. It's just a shallow hole, which can fit more jam when being topped.

    FUN FACTS: Czechs often don't eat the vdolky as a dessert but as a main course! They're a popular dish in school cafeterias.

    More Czech sweet recipes:

    • Žemlovka – apple bread pudding
    • Makovec – poppy seed cake with lemon icing
    • Moravské koláče – Moravian kolaches with double filling

    FAQs

    Is it hard to make vdolky?

    Not so hard but rather time-consuming. You also need a lot of oil, about 4 cups just for the frying.

    What kind of oil is best for fry cakes?

    Use any oil with a high smoke point and neutral smell. I'd recommend vegetable oil or lard.

    Which pot is the best for frying cakes?

    Use a pot with lower rims and a wider diameter so you can fry more vdolky at once. Vdolky leaven a bit when being fried. My go-to is an iron cast pan 11 inch (28 cm) in diameter.

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    české vdolky recipe

    Vdolky, Czech Fry Cakes

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Want to taste an authentic Czech delicacy? Try this recipe for Vdolek (or Vdoleček), topped with plum butter and sprinkled with crumbled Tvaroh farmers cheese.
    4.75 from 4 votes
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    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
    Rising Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Total Time: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Servings: 20 pieces

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    Yeast dough for vdolky:

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
    • 1 ¼ cup lukewarm milk
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 stick unsalted butter
    • 2 egg yolks
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 Tablesspoons rum (Kirkland spiced rum from Costco or Austrian Stroh 40)

    Topping:

    • ⅔ cup plum butter
    • 8 ounces farmers’ cheese (or dry ricotta, a scoop of sour or whipped cream)
    • powdered sugar to dust vdolky (optional)

    You will also need:

    • 4 cups vegetable oil for frying vdolky

    Instructions 

    • Take a large mixing bowl, add 4 cups all-purpose flour and make a dent in the middle. Place 2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Pour in about ½ cups of lukewarm milk. Mix the yeast, sugar, milk, and little flour with a fork. Leave it in a warm place for 30 minutes; the yeast mixture should start bubbling.
    • Melt 1 stick unsalted butter and let it cool for a bit. Add it to the rest of the warm milk in a bowl. The mixture can't be hot, only warm. Add 2 egg yolks, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 Tablesspoons rum, and whisk everything.
    • Add the mixture and the proofed yeast to the flour to make the dough, either by hand with a wooden spoon or using a kitchen mixer with a dough hook attachment. The resulting dough should be slightly sticky, not too dense, which helps in making fluffy and pillowy vdolky.
    • Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
    • Turn the raised dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about ½ inch thick pancake. Use an upside-down glass to cut out round shapes. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise again for 20-30 minutes until puffy.
    • Meanwhile, heat the frying oil in a saucepan over medium heat. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the oil should reach 350°F.
    • Before you fry a Vdolek, make a shallow dump with your index finger in the middle. Put a vdolek into the hot oil carefully, with the hole facing downwards.
    • Fry until golden brown, then flip the Vdolek and fry the second side. It is quick, about 1 minute on each side.
    • Remove fried Vdolky from the oil carefully and place it onto a rack.
    • Put a half tablespoon plum butter on the Vdolek surface on the side with a hole. Sprinkle with grated crumbled cheese.

    Notes

    • The basic recipe makes 20 pieces of Vdolky.
    • Enriched yeast dough like this takes a more time to rise due to the amount of butter.
    • When rolling out the dough and making individual fry cakes, avoid adding too much flour to prevent them from becoming heavy and dense.
    • The hole in the middle of the fry cake should be shallow and not go all the way through, allowing it to hold more jam when topped.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Servings: 20 pieces
    Calories pro serving: 307
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: fry cake, vdolek
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
    • 1.1Kshares

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    Comments

    1. Heather says

      January 29, 2022 at 6:09 am

      5 stars
      I think these are best paired with a good cup of coffee, and I really appreciate how this recipe is written. I do have a lot of experience cooking, but I know it can be offputting for people trying this for the first time.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        May 05, 2022 at 6:10 am

        Thank you, Heather. I know yeast dough could be a challenge, but the taste is an excellent reward for the work!

        Reply
    2. Maria says

      January 29, 2022 at 6:17 am

      5 stars
      I first came across these on my trip around Europe, and I love them! The sweet yet somewhat sharp taste of the plum spread, combined with the creamy taste of tvaroh make for an exceptional experience. I couldn't find any tvaroh in America, but farmers' cheese works really well as a substitute. I wholeheartedly recommend this recipe!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        May 05, 2022 at 6:12 am

        Thanks a lot for the comment and your feedback! You are right; farmers' cheese is the perfect substitution for Czech tvaroh cheese in the US.

        Reply
        • Susan says

          June 20, 2025 at 11:51 am

          4 stars
          I love everything about this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly but my donuts ended up with raw centers while being a tad bit dark. I’ve never had luck. The oil temp was for the 350 f per the recipe. Wondering if I should turn down the oil temp? I know that can mean oily donuts. Any words of advice, encouragement for next try?

          Reply
          • Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says

            June 28, 2025 at 12:32 pm

            Thank you so much for the kind words and for trying the recipe! I totally hear you, getting fried dough just right can be tricky at first.
            If the centers were a bit raw but the outsides got too dark, try lowering the oil temperature slightly next time, to be around 330–340°F. It gives the dough a little more time to cook through without browning too fast.

            Also, make sure the dough rounds aren’t too thick (about ½ inch, maybe little less) and that they’ve had a good second rise, they should look visibly puffy before they hit the oil.

            I know these traditional fried treats can be finicky, but once you get the rhythm, they’re so satisfying to make, and you’re definitely almost there. I hope your next batch turns out perfectly pillowy and golden! 🙂

            Reply
    3. Julie says

      July 07, 2022 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      My family loves these, the only difference is that we cook on a griddle instead of deep frying. They are soooo delicious!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        July 15, 2022 at 6:18 am

        Yep, another great option is to bake the vdolky cakes on a cast iron griddle or pan! That's how my grandmother used to make them; she had a wood cooktop stove. Both options are fine and produce heavenly good vdolky 😊

        Reply
    4. Gail says

      November 06, 2022 at 9:44 am

      I was so excited to find this recipe. When I was young the best day was when we would go to grandma’s for lunch and she would serve vdolky with plum or apricot jam and cheese or she would serve fruit dumplings with cheese, butter and sugar. Yum!!
      Thank you so much for helping us keep these recipes alive

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        November 09, 2022 at 9:57 am

        You are very welcome, Gail! I hear you! My grandmother's house was the same way; she always had raised fruit dumplings or vdolky ready for us grandkids 🙂

        Reply
    5. Pat Myers says

      May 19, 2024 at 9:04 pm

      Oh, I remember my Italian mother making these. (She learned so many Czech recipes from her Czech mother in law.). She would use apple butter instead of plum butter. Loved them! 🥰

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        May 26, 2024 at 12:50 pm

        Thank you very much for your comment and sweet memories, Pat!

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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