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There is something wonderful, emotional, and strong in tradition, especially in that part that connects us with our ancestors and the knowledge that what we do, they did centuries before. It's the same with making Slava cake. But first, let me explain what Slava is. In short, Slava is a Christian Serbian custom, very characteristic of Serbs, which is why it is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. It is actually a family celebration dedicated to the patron saint of the family. Every family has its own saint and it is something that is passed down from generation to generation. Slava was mentioned for the first time as far back as the 11th century, so this custom is very old and rooted in the identity of the Serbian people. Of course, customs differ in various parts of Serbia, but one thing is common. Every Slava is celebrated with wheat, a candle, and a Slavski cake. My family celebrates Sveta Petka (Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans), and as usual, respecting certain rules, but also having my creative freedom, I made this wonderful traditional cake, which is full of beautiful symbols. Here is the story and the recipe.*

It is necessary to make the Slava cake the day before the celebration because, on the day of the celebration, the cake is taken to the church early in the morning. Symbolically, the cake represents the suffering of Jesus, namely, the priest cuts the cake in the shape of a cross and pours it with wine, which symbolizes the blood of Jesus.

Decoration and symbolism

The cake itself is full of symbols. Slava cake decorations of various shapes are specially made. For example, wheat is a symbol of fertility and success, the shape of the grape was usually made by winegrowers, basil is for health, a flower is a symbol of joy, and so on.

To make the decorations more impressive, they are made in a special way. For the decorations, you only need flour, water, and salt. It is necessary to knead the ingredients into a hard, but still elastic dough, and there are no special measures for that. My decorating dough is made from approximately 150 grams of flour and two teaspoons of salt. I added water as needed.

Of course, when I make anything from the dough, my daughter is there to help.

This decoration that you see in the picture that Mila presses into the dough is interesting. It is a stamp with the letters IS HS NI KA (Cyrillic) which is the Greek abbreviation for "Jesus Christ wins".

And here is the method of making a rose...

When the decorations for the cake are ready, we move on to the main part. Decorations can be made the day before.

How to make Slava cake

If it is a day of fasting, the cake is made with water, yeast, and flour, but if it is not, then the recipe is different, and of course, the taste is richer. I really like the butter in the dough, it keeps the cake fresh and soft for longer, and the smell of the butter is fantastic.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 700 g of soft flour - maybe a little more
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 25g of fresh yeast
• 225 ml of milk
• 125 ml of water
• 1 egg + 1 yolk

Add sugar and yeast to lukewarm milk and water and wait for the yeast to do its work. Place the flour in a large bowl, then add a teaspoon of salt. Make a hole in the flour to add the yeast mixture, then add the beaten eggs. Knead the dough, gradually adding softened butter. The dough should be soft and smooth and, of course, should not stick to your fingers.

The dough is ready to play with it and make our wonderful authentic Slava cake.

I divided the dough into three parts. One was slightly larger than the other two. Before you start arranging the pieces of dough, you need to prepare the baking dish. Usually, the cake is baked in a pan that is deeper, in order to gain height. Grease the pan with butter or put baking paper on it.

I put the first part on the bottom of the pan and pressed it a little almost to the edges of the pan. I covered it with egg white, for the next layers of dough. Egg whites are like glue :)

From the second part, I made a braid that I connected in a circle and put it over the first part of the dough.

I made five balls from the third part. I placed them inside a circle of braid in the shape of a flower.

Now cover the cake with a cotton cloth and let it rest and rise for about half an hour. After that, you place the decorations you made over the dough. Coat the decorations on the side that goes on the cake with egg whites or water, so that they do not fall out.

Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. When the cake is ready, cover it with a cloth to soften it a little.

And that is that. Lovely, tender, and fragrant, my Slava cake turned out exactly as I wanted.

Making Slava cake was a real pleasure for me, although it requires a lot of dedication and time. All that symbolism around the cake and what it represents is wonderful. Loved ones - friends and family - are invited to Slava. They all come to the festive lunch and each of them will get a piece of the Slava cake. Behind all that is the symbol of one of the most beautiful human characteristics - love and sharing. That's why I shared with you with a lot of love this story about wonderful authentic Slava cake.

Your Snežana