Strawberry cream doughnuts: a spring recipe that melts in the mouth
The traditional cream-and-strawberry pastry is becoming the season’s hit in Kosovo and Albanian kitchens.
PRISHTINA, April 21, 2026 — Spring has brought fresh strawberries back to the markets of Prishtina and Tirana, and along with them a dessert that is taking over social media: cream-filled doughnuts with strawberries.
The recipe, popularized by Telegrafi, brings together two Balkan kitchen classics—sweet fried doughnuts and princes cream, a milk-and-egg-based vanilla custard. With fresh strawberries added, it gains a spring note that is hard to forget.
How it is made
The dough is prepared with flour, lukewarm milk, yeast, sugar, eggs and soft butter. After kneading, it is left to rise until doubled in volume. The dough is then rolled out, cut into rounds and rested again before being fried in moderately hot oil, so the doughnuts cook evenly inside.
According to Telegrafi, “the secret is that the doughnuts must be fully cooled before being filled with cream,” otherwise the cream melts and loses its texture.
The princes cream is made with milk, sugar, egg yolks, flour and vanilla. Once thickened over low heat, it is cooled completely and lightened with a touch of whipped cream. Strawberries are quartered and gently folded into the cream just before filling.
The doughnuts are sliced through the middle, filled with the cream-and-strawberry mixture and dusted with powdered sugar. Some home cooks add a spoonful of strawberry jam for richer color and flavor.
In Prishtina’s small cafés, this dessert is increasingly served as a seasonal specialty, while social-media videos of its preparation gather thousands of views within hours.
The classic recipe is simple but requires patience—a combination that suits the slow nature of April evenings.
Source: Telegrafi