The Decadent Cherry Cake to Try in Campania

Name: The Decadent Cherry Cake to Try in Campania
Cook time: 35 minutes, plus 3 hours to rise
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: For the dough: 1 packet or 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast ½ cup warm milk 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Zest of 1 lemon 2 eggs; plus a third for brushing on the crust 5 tablespoons unsalted butter; softened ½ teaspoon salt; For the filling: 1 cup pastry cream; homemade or store-bought ½ cup cherry preserves; To finish: Powdered sugar; to taste

Dolce

Francine Segan | Mon, 05/18/2026 - 12:40

Polacca aversana

Difficulty Level

Low

Cooking Time

35 minutes, plus 3 hours to rise

Cost

Low

This golden, buttery cake — fragrant with lemon, cherries and vanilla — comes from Aversa, a charming town just north of Naples in the Caserta province.

One popular legend says that a Polish nun who lived in a convent in Aversa introduced the basis for the recipe in 1926 (hence the name “Polacca,” which means Polish woman). She brought her recipe for the sweet, buttery bread from her homeland but then is said to have given it to a local pastry chef, who added his own