LEDENA KOCKA (MY MOTHER IN LAW'S RECIPE)

If I had to choose only one dessert to make forever, it would be this one. Ledena Kocka, also known as Ice Cube Cake, is pure nostalgia for me. The recipe comes from my mother-in-law, a woman whose baking skills could win hearts long before anyone tasted a bite. Watching her prepare this cake was like watching magic, calm, measured, precise. I learned every step from her, and now, it’s one of my most loved and most requested desserts.

This cake has everything you want in a dessert: a soft chocolate base soaked in vanilla syrup, a silky custard cream, and a glossy chocolate glaze that cracks gently under your fork.
It’s elegant, simple, and irresistibly good, a little piece of heaven in every bite.

🍫 Ingredients

For the Biscuit (Chocolate Base)

• 6 eggs

• 6 tablespoons sugar (about 75 g or 1/3 cup)

• 7 tablespoons flour (about 90 g or 3/4 cup)

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (about 20 g or 1/4 cup)

• 1 baking powder (10 g or 2 teaspoons)

• 1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Preparation:
Beat the eggs with sugar until pale and fluffy. Add cocoa, flour, baking powder, and rum. Mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into a rectangular, greased and floured baking pan (about 13x9 inches or 33x23 cm).
Bake at 150°C (300°F) until firm to the touch. Let it cool completely.

For the Syrup

• 1 cup water (250 ml)

• 1 cup sugar (200 g)

• 2 packets vanilla sugar (2 x 10 g or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)

Boil water with sugar and vanilla sugar for about 10 minutes. Let it cool slightly.
Pour the lukewarm syrup over the cooled cake base to make it soft and moist.
(Cup size: 250 ml or 8 fl oz)

For the Cream

• 1 liter milk (4 cups)

• 200 g sugar (1 cup)

• 10 tablespoons flour (about 80 g or 2/3 cup)

• 250 g margarine or butter (1 cup or 2 sticks)

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (20 g)

Boil 750 ml (3 cups) of milk with sugar.
In the remaining 250 ml (1 cup) of milk, dissolve the flour. Slowly add it to the boiling milk, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Let it cool.
Beat margarine or butter with powdered sugar until creamy, then blend it into the cooled cream.
Spread this beautiful, silky cream over the syrup-soaked biscuit.

For the Chocolate Glaze

• 200 g dark chocolate (7 oz)

• 140 g margarine or butter (10 tablespoons or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

• 1 tablespoon oil (15 ml)

• 1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Melt chocolate and margarine over steam, then stir in oil and rum.
Pour the warm glaze evenly over the chilled cream layer.
Refrigerate the cake for several hours or ideally overnight to let the layers set perfectly.

❄️ Serving

Cut the cake into neat cubes (that’s where it gets its name Ice Cube Cake) and enjoy it cold.
The flavor deepens the next day: soft base, creamy heart, and chocolate top in perfect harmony.