The Old-School Cake With A Pie Topping That Reddit Is Begging To Come Back

It starts with a spark of sugary nostalgia, a cake you haven't thought about in years, crossing your mind in a random moment. Lost in memories all this time, it's surprising how much impact it still holds. The passing of time, as it turns out, only elevates forgotten desserts' magic. After that, it won't be long before the cravings come knocking and demand a revival. Such is the case with perok cake, as aptly demonstrated by large baking communities on Reddit.

Originating in Iran and Armenia, perok (or piróg) is a butter cake topped with fruit jam and a lattice, pie-like crust. The filling is often sweet, but can also be savory with options like mushrooms, fried onions, potatoes, meat, and fish. It mostly comes in large circular and rectangular pans, but you might also see it sliced into palm-sized squares, served with tea or coffee as a daybreak snack. Oftentimes, you will find this cake dearly loved in many Iranian and Armenian households, and all the same, a staple in local bakeries.

Think of perok as a cake and pie hybrid. The crust is crispy-edged and golden, yet the filling melts with decadent softness. At the center, the peach or apricot jam's vibrant sweetness (although it can be any other fruit you want) is a gratifying force that constantly pulls you back in for another bite. It's undoubtedly one of the many Armenian delicacies you need to try at least once.

This cake popped onto the mainstream map when Redditor Ninette, who went by the username flyGERTIfly, posted on the Old_Recipes subreddit over five years ago, showcasing an Armenian perok cake baked during the COVID-19 quarantine. The post quickly gained traction, with more than 2,600 upvotes, even hitting the top five in the website's most discussed recipes. 

In an interview with TODAY, Ninette revealed that it was a generational recipe "passed down from [her] maternal grandmother," which she happily shared with the Reddit community. In return, it was met with an outpour of love from the comment section. Some users linked it with their own family heritage and memories of loved ones' own creations. Others reported on great successes after following the recipe, permanently adding it to their own decadent cake recipes repertoire. One user even praised it for being "easy to make and everyone loved it!"

Years went by, and inevitably, the hype for this cake died down. However, as recently as a month ago, another Reddit post appeared on the same subreddit by a different user, showcasing their own version of perok cake. Around the same time, another similar post popped up, receiving roughly the same amount of attention. Compliments flooded in, admiration poured over hundreds of comments, and many said the posts had reminded them of a long-forgotten gem. Some even considered trying it as a delicious, sweet-tooth-satisfying way to use up leftover jam from the summer. Unanimously, everyone agreed that it's high time this cake made a comeback.