Zserbó: A Café Legend on the Hungarian Holiday Table

Prep Time 60-70 min

Bake Time 35-40 min

Calories 320 kcal/100g

Hungarian zserbó (Gerbeaud slice) is a layered walnut and apricot jam pastry covered in chocolate, traditionally baked in a rectangular pan, then cut into elegant squares for holidays like Christmas and Easter. It sits on Hungarian sweet tables beside bejgli, flódni, Somlói galuska and Gundel palacsinta as one of the most classic celebration cakes.

Zserbó is named after Emil Gerbeaud, the Swiss–Hungarian master confectioner who elevated Budapest’s café culture in the late 19th century. His famous coffee house (today’s Gerbeaud in downtown Budapest) helped turn this simple-looking layered cake into a symbol of Central European elegance. At home, however, zserbó feels less like a luxury product and more like a family heirloom recipe—one that appears every Christmas next to bejgli, flódni and trays of other “sütik,” and disappears suspiciously quickly once the first guest dares to cut it.

Many Hungarians remember watching mothers or grandmothers rolling out the yeast dough into whisper-thin sheets, spreading them with tangy apricot jam and walnuts, stacking the layers like a quiet piece of architecture, then crowning it all with a sheet of shiny chocolate. The magic is in the balance: not too sweet, not too thick, just enough jam, and that satisfying crack of chocolate when you bite into a slice.

Ingredients

(for a 30×35 cm / 12×14 inch pan)

Yeast Dough

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 200 g cold unsalted butter or good-quality margarine
• 80 g powdered sugar
• 25 g fresh yeast (or 7 g instant dry yeast)
• 100 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• Pinch of salt

Filling

• 350–400 g good-quality apricot jam (slightly tart is best)
• 250–300 g finely ground walnuts
• 150–180 g sugar (or to taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (optional)

Chocolate Glaze

• 150 g dark chocolate
• 3–4 tbsp neutral oil or 60–70 g butter
• 1–2 tbsp powdered sugar (optional, for a slightly sweeter glaze)

Instructions

Make the Dough

1. Activate the yeast
   Crumble fresh yeast into lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar, stir and let stand for 8–10 minutes until foamy. If using instant yeast, you can mix it straight into the flour.
2. Mix dry ingredients
   In a large bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Bring it together
   Add the whole egg, egg yolk and the activated yeast mixture. Knead or mix just until a smooth, soft but not sticky dough forms. It should hold together like a tender shortcrust, not like bread dough. If too dry, add a splash more milk; if too sticky, dust with a little flour.
4. Rest
   Shape the dough into a smooth ball, cover and let rest for 30–40 minutes somewhere cool (this dough is usually rested rather than fully proofed; it should relax, not dramatically rise). 

Prepare the Filling

1. Walnut sugar mix
   In a bowl, combine the ground walnuts with sugar and vanilla sugar (if using). This will be sprinkled between layers with the apricot jam.
2. Apricot jam
   Stir the jam to loosen it; if very thick, you can warm it slightly so it spreads easily, but let it cool back to room temperature before using so it doesn’t melt the dough.

Rolling and Layering

You will typically create four thin dough sheets, making three filling layers.

1. Divide the dough
   Turn the rested dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a neat ball.
2. Roll the base layer
   Roll the first ball into a rectangle to fit your greased or parchment-lined pan (around 30×35 cm). Transfer it carefully into the pan, patching any small tears.
3. Layer 1 – jam & walnut
   Spread a thin, even layer of apricot jam over the dough—don’t flood it; you want thin but complete coverage. Sprinkle one-third of the walnut–sugar mixture evenly over the jam.
4. Layer 2 & 3
   Roll the second dough ball, lay it carefully on top, and repeat: jam + walnut–sugar. Do the same with the third dough ball, finishing again with jam + walnut–sugar.
5. Top layer
   Roll the fourth dough ball and lay it as the final “lid,” covering the filling completely. Prick the surface gently with a fork in a few places to let steam escape during baking.

Baking

1. Rest before baking
   Let the assembled cake rest in the pan for about 20–30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). This helps the layers relax together and improves the texture.
2. Bake
   Bake for about 30–40 minutes, until the top is dry and lightly golden. It should feel set when touched in the center.
3. Cool completely
   Remove the pan from the oven and let the zserbó cool completely in the pan before glazing. Warm cake will cause the chocolate to soak in and lose its sheen.

Chocolate Glaze

1. Melt
   In a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water (or in short bursts in the microwave), melt the dark chocolate with oil or butter, stirring until smooth and glossy. Add powdered sugar if you prefer a slightly sweeter glaze.
2. Glaze the cake
   Pour the warm (not too hot) chocolate over the cooled cake and tilt the pan or use a spatula to spread it into a smooth, even layer. Try not to overwork it so it stays shiny.
3. Set & slice
   Let the glaze set at room temperature. Once firm, use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry to cut neat slices—first trim the edges if you like, then cut into small rectangles or diamonds.

Tips and Variations

• Thickness balance
  The hallmark of a good zserbó is balance: thin dough layers, generous but not oozing filling, and a chocolate cap that cracks gently rather than shattering. Aim for layers of roughly similar thickness.
• Jam choice
  Slightly tart apricot jam is classic; avoid overly sweet or very runny jams. A small spoonful of Szatmár-style thick plum jam in one layer gives a deeper, old-world flavor.
• Nut tweak
  You can replace part of the walnuts with finely ground hazelnuts for a different aroma, but full-walnut is the traditional standard.
• Make ahead
  Like bejgli and flódni, zserbó improves after a day or two as the flavors meld and the jam gently moistens the dough. It keeps well wrapped at cool room temperature.

Perfect Pairings

• Alongside other classics
  On a festive dessert table, zserbó sits perfectly beside bejgli (poppy seed and walnut rolls), flódni (multi-layer walnut–poppy–apple–plum pastry), and Somlói galuska for a rich, varied Hungarian sweets spread.
• After a hearty meal
  Serve small slices after traditional mains like Rántott hús, Jókai bableves or Chicken Paprikash; the nut and jam layers are rich enough that even a thin piece feels satisfying.
• With coffee or tea
  Zserbó is exactly what Hungarian café culture is about: a strong black coffee or espresso on one side, a neat, glossy slice on the other—perfect for long conversations.
• As a sweet breakfast or snack
  Just like bejgli, leftover zserbó makes a wonderful next-day breakfast with tea, or an afternoon treat alongside a simple dish like tejbegríz or borsófőzelék if you want to echo that cozy, home-style feeling.

Why We Love It

Zserbó is more than just layers of dough, jam and walnuts under a chocolate blanket. It carries the spirit of Budapest’s grand coffee houses into the home kitchen, turning rolling, spreading and stacking into a holiday ritual. Bake it once, and it will likely join bejgli on your list of “must-have” Hungarian Christmas bakes—quietly waiting on the tray until someone finally says, “Let’s cut the zserbó,” and the real celebration begins.