Standing placidly in the shadows of the Julian Alps, ringed by thick forests and guarded by a stern medieval castle, is Slovenia’s beloved Lake Bled. At its center is Bled Island, home to one most beautiful churches on the planet and the “wishing bell,” a 16th century chime consecrated by the Pope himself that is believed to grant the wishes of all who ring it.

There’s a reason Lake Bled is Slovenia’s most popular tourist destination: If you’re lucky, a swan might just float by as you watch the flat-bedded boats drift on the lake. Bled offers sweet memories to its millions of visitors, but the hungry ones will have something sweeter—Lake Bled cream cake.

Cream cake, characterized by delicate puff pastry atop