14 Irresistible Romanian Cakes (from Albinita to Boema)

How come Romanian cakes are so special? Picture this: layers of moist sponge, rich fillings, and wonderful flavor combinations that dance on your palate.

All these traditional cakes, from the famous cozonac—a sweet bread adorned with cocoa and nut swirls—to the rich diplomat cake—topped with pineapple chunks—are about expert artistry.

Let us taste Romania’s famous cakes and experience its spirit; maybe you’ll find a dessert that you adore no matter where you are in the world.

My personal favorite is “Prajitura Boema”. Check it out and see whether our tastes align!

14 Best Romanian Cakes You Must Try

Whether you’re looking for traditional desserts or fun Romanian twists, here are 14 cake ideas for your sweet tooth.

Snow White Cake, also known as Alba ca Zapada, is a delightful confection from Romania known for its mesmerizing lemony taste.

A delicate sponge base and layers of lemon cream make up this cake—named after the renowned fairy tale character.

This delicious Romanian dessert blends the tartness of sour cherries with the sweetness of a vanilla-flavored cake.

When cherries are in season, I can’t help but indulge in this classic recipe.

Cozonac is a traditional Romanian sweet yeast dough generously swirled with layers of sweet fillings. It’s often enjoyed during the holiday season and other special occasions.

The popular ingredients for cozonac filling—walnuts, rum, and cocoa powder—form a flavorful and texturally pleasing trio.

If you like festive recipes, you might also like these ideas from my country: check out traditional Ukrainian Christmas foods and recipes for Ukrainian Easter baskets!

Savarina

The traditional rum-soaked cake from Eastern Europe gets a Romanian twist in the form of savarina.

This luscious treat is usually created with a yeast dough soaked in a rum-infused syrup and filled with pastry or whipped cream. It creates a soft and fluffy cake.

This delicious dessert can be topped with fruit jams or a sour cherry to give it a tart flavor.

The delicatessen consists of layers of smooth custard sandwiched between layers of ladyfingers or sponge cake.

I love that this cake is light and fruity as it’s topped with a generous layer of pineapple chunks. It’s an amazing winter cake perfect for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

Try the Romanian Harlequin Cake if you’re looking for a bright and wacky dessert to spice up any party.

Sponge cakes encase layers of tangy jams, like apricot and plum jam, or creams to make this show-stopping cake. A colorful sprinkle topping adds a festive touch.

This nutty treat, the Romanian Walnut Cake, is made with a sponge base with sour cream, a layer of jam and a walnut-loaded meringue.

This cake has all the textures you could ask for in a dessert and I love how they combine to make a light sweet treat.

Ground walnuts and crunchy meringue made with egg whites give this Romanian cake its signature texture and flavor.

Joffre Cake

Chocolate buttermilk cake layered with chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate buttercream make up a Joffre cake.

It’s a classic Romanian dessert named after the French Marshal Joseph Joffre.

Every chocoholic’s ideal dessert would have to be Boema, or Romanian Chocolate Cake.

This layered cake is made out of a rich chocolate sponge, a soft chocolate cream, and a shiny chocolate ganache.

Just seeing the word “chocolate” used three times in a single sentence is enough to make me drool.

Walnuts and chocolate buttercream come together in this decadent dessert.

The delicious walnut base topped with chocolate cocoa buttercream and adorned with chocolate glaze makes for a show-stopping centerpiece for any occasion.

Albinita (Romanian Honey Cake)

The layers of honey-infused sponge cake and cream make up this delicious cake. Jam, usually raspberry or plum, is another common addition.

The Romanian name “albină” means “bee,” a nod to the honey-based nature of this popular Romanian dessert.

I love all types of honey cakes and they’re quite popular in my country as well. You can check out my collection of Ukrainian cakes for another delicious honey cake option.

This chocolate cake with poppy seeds consists of an aromatic poppy seed base, a layer of vanilla buttercream, coffee-soaked biscuits and chocolate on top.

I think the recipe is easy to follow and the result can please even the pickiest of dessert lovers.

Amandine

The chocolate layered cake known as amandine (or amandină in Romanian) is filled with caramel, fondant cream, and chocolate for a rich dessert.

The Amandine recipe can be delivered as a large cake or as small squares, as is typical with Romanian cakes.

Originally, chocolate sponge cake layers were soaked in rum-flavored caramel syrup. Combining chocolate buttercream and fondant makes the cream filling.

Then, fondant with chocolate and rum or rum essence is poured over the created layers.

Kürtőskalács (Transylvanian Chimney Cake)

The Hungarian-speaking part of Romania, known as Szeklerland, and Transylvania are known for their popular spit cakes, Kürtőskalács.

The sweet dough is wrapped in a strip and rolled in granulated sugar using a truncated cone-shaped baking spit. Roasting it over charcoal while basting it with melted butter turns it golden brown.

It’s almost identical to Trdelnik, a famous Czech street food that I tried on my trip to Prague. You can check out other famous Czech snacks here!

Are you interested in learning more about Romanian cuisine? Check out these traditional Romanian desserts including Romanian cheese donuts, Salam de Biscuiti and traditional Romanian pastries.

If you’ve enjoyed Romanian food so far, why not also try some amazing Romanian snacks to explore new delights?