Kuršėnų Vyniotinis, a delicious Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese Roll Cake—a simple dessert with a rich history. Crafted by Eugenija Dragūnienė, a survivor of the gulag who, upon her release, opened a local confectionery store in Kuršėnai, Lithuania. This unique roll cake, blending tradition and innovation, has become a nostalgic treat for many, embodying the warmth of childhood memories. In this recipe, we'll guide you through the step-by-step process of creating this culinary masterpiece, using simple ingredients that capture the essence of Lithuanian flavor. Get ready to indulge in the sweet charm of Kuršėnų Vyniotinis!
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Looking for a no-fuss Lithuanian cake? Try our Orange Pound Cake and Lithuanian Easter Cake - Velyku Boba, which is popular over the Easter period!
What Exactly Is Kuršėnų Vyniotinis?
Whilst farmers cheese is very popular across Eastern Europe, I have not come across anything quite like Kuršėnų Vyniotinis. This makes me quite certain that this Farmer's Cheese Roll Cake is a truly Lithuanian recipe.
As its name suggests (Kuršėnai is a small town in Lithuania, and vyniotinis means a roll cake or roulade), the name was named after a very special place in Lithuania. Eugenija Dragūnienė, a survivor of the gulag, opened a bakery there following her release and is credited with the creation of the recipe!
These days Kuršėnų Vyniotinis may be seen as a retro dessert that brings nostalgia and childhood memories for many. But you can still find this delicious Lithuanian cake in many bakeries and on the tables of families celebrating special occasions.
More Lithuanian Dessert Recipes
Ingredients and Substitutes
A few simple ingredients and about 30 minutes of hands-on time! Trust me, Kuršėnų Vyniotinis is totally worth it. Here's what you'll need (ingredient quantities and method in the recipe card below).
- eggs: we used medium in the UK, so it's probably best to use large eggs in the US.
- caster sugar: also known as superfine sugar (or castor sugar). You may replace it with white granulated sugar, but make sure to whisk it with egg yolks for longer to make sure the sugar dissolves.
- all-purpose flour: or cake flour.
- poppy seeds: optional. If you have plenty, make the Lithuanian Poppy Seed Rolls next!
- powdered sugar: for sprinkling. Also known as icing sugar or confectioner's sugar.
- unsalted butter: softened, and I mean really very soft.
- farmers cheese (varškė): ideally full-fat, but half-fat will work as well. If you cannot find Lithuanian varškė, try Polish farmer's cheese (Twarog). Alternatively, you can use drained full-fat cottage cheese. Our homemade farmer's cheese recipe will be on the blog soon too!
- sweetened condensed milk.
- vanilla bean extract: or vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla pod.
- lemon zest: may be replaced with orange zest.
Step-By-Step Method
Here is the step-by-step method of how to make this delicious Lithuanian cake plus a few tips!
Before You Begin: Tips For Best Results
- Make sure your butter is softened (not just at room temperature, but really soft).
- All the ingredients for the Farmer's Cheese Filling should be of the same temperature (this will avoid the lumpy texture of the filling). So take everything out of the fridge way in advance.
- Do not skip the step where you push the farmer's cheese through a fine sieve, or you will have larger curds of it in the filling.
- Don't be tempted to add less sugar to the sponge batter mixture.
- Roll the sponge when it is still warm, otherwise it will crack and break.
- Make sure to completely cool the sponge before filling it with farmers cheese mixture.
Make the Sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C Fan (375° F). Line the base and sides of a 25x35cm (9x14 in) baking tray (shallow baking pan) with parchment paper.
- Carefully separate egg whites and egg yolks.
- Place the egg whites in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat them to stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Then gently mix in the flour.
- A quarter at a time, start adding egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, and gently fold them in. With the last portion of wgg whites add in the poppy seeds and fold everything together, aiming not to knock out too much air.
- Pour the batter into a prepared baking tray, smooth it out, push it into the corners of the tin with a small offset spatula and place it in the oven for 14-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Take the sponge out of the oven and lift it out of the baking tray by the overhanging parchment paper.
- Whilst the sponge is still hot, carefully unpeel the sides (but not the bottom) and then roll the sponge into a log together with the parchment paper. Tie a string around to keep the cake rolled, and let the cake cool down completely at room temperature.
Make Farmers Cheese Cake Filling:
- Push the farmer cheese through a fine sieve (see the photos below) to ensure it is smooth and no lumps remain.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter on low speed until completely smooth in a medium bowl.
- Little by little trickle in the condensed milk and continue beating until combined.
- Finally add the prepared farmer's cheese, lemon zest and vanilla, and beat again.
Assemble:
- Once the sponge has cooled down, carefully unroll it and spread the farmer's cheese mixture across the surface.
- Roll the sponge with the creamy filling, this time carefully unpeeling the parchment paper.
- Place the roll cake seam side down on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up, before slicing and serving.
Serving Lithuanian Farmers' Cheese Cake
In Lithuania, this roll cake is typically served with nothing but a dusting of powdered sugar and a cup of tea or coffee. However, some fresh berries or coulis would not go amiss either.
Storage and Making Ahead
Kuršėnų Vyniotinis is a perfect make-ahead cake. Not only can you make the sponge cake a day before assembling it, but you can easily store the assembled cake for up to 2 days.
Simply wrap the farmer's cheese cake in plastic food wrap and place it in the fridge. Chill cake until 30 minutes before you wish to serve it, then take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature before serving"
Recipe FAQs
Where To Buy Farmers Cheese?
If you are in the UK, most large grocery stores have Polish farmer's cheese, called Twarog (try Sainsbury's, Tesco or Morissons). In the US, there are plenty of online Eastern European Shops as well as Polish Food Stores that should stock farmer's cheese. Polish Twarog is very similar to Lithuanian Varske.
Other Lithuanian Farmers Cheese Recipes
My favourite? It's got to be either Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese Doughnuts (Varškės Spurgos) or Lithuanian Farmer Cheese Cake Recipe (Draugystės Pyragas), or Lithuanian Apple Cheesecake Crumble, but here are a few more recipes below:
Head to our dedicated article about recipes using farmer's cheese for more inspiration!
Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese Roll Cake (Kuršėnų Vyniotinis)
Equipment
- 25x35cm (9x14 in) Baking Tray
- Electric Handheld Mixer
- Baking Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 4 eggs medium
- 60 g (4 tbsp) caster sugar
- 40 g (4 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- 10 g (1 tbsp) poppy seeds optional
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for sprinkling
Filling:
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter softened
- 100 g (3.5 oz) full-fat farmers cheese
- 100 g (⅓ cup) condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
- 1 lemon zest only
Instructions
Make the Sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C Fan (375° F). Line the base and sides of a 25x35cm (9x14 in) baking tray with parchment paper.
- Carefully separate egg whites and egg yolks.
- Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and, using an electric handheld mixer, beat them to stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Then gently mix in the flour.
- A quarter at a time, start adding egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, and gently fold them in. With the last portion of wgg whites add in the poppy seeds and fold everything together, aiming not to knock out too much air.
- Pour the batter into a prepared baking tray, smooth it out, push it into the corners of the tin with an offset spatula and place it the oven for 14-15 minutes.
- Take the sponge out of the oven and lift it out of the baking tray by the overhanging parchment paper.
- Whilst the sponge is still hot, carefully unpeel the sides (but not the bottom) and then roll the sponge into a log together with the parchment paper. Tie a string around to keep the cake rolled, and leave it to cool down completely at room temperature.
Make Farmers Cheese Cake Filling:
- Push the farmers cheese through a fine sieve (see photos above) to make sure it is smooth and no lumps remain.
- Using an electric handheld mixture, beat the softened butter until completely smooth.
- Little by little trickle in the condensed milk and continue beating until combined.
- Finally add the prepared farmers cheese, lemon zest and vanilla, and beat again.
Assemble:
- Once the sponge has cooled down, carefully unroll it and spread the farmers cheese filling across the surface.
- Roll the sponge with the filling again, this time, carefully unpeeling the parchment paper.
- Place the roll cake seam side down on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up, before slicing and serving.
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