Plum Karpatka (Polish Cream Puff Cake)

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Karpatka, a.k.a. Carpathian Mountain cake, is a grand Polish cake that lives up to its name.

Traditionally, two disks of tender, billowing pâte à choux house a layer of pastry cream lightened with whipped cream. In our creative riff, we ditched the pastry cream for a no-bake cheesecake filling.

Homemade plum compote stains the filling with a vibrant red ribbon. If all you can find is less-than-ideal unripe plums, don’t fret: As they cook, their skins soften and turn the compote a saturated red hue while the added sugar and lemon juice heighten their flavors.

You can make the compote a couple of days in advance and store it in the fridge, or, if you’re feeling a bit more casual, you can opt for store-bought jam in its place. A single packet of gelatin gives the filling enough structure to be sliceable but still soft enough to submit to a spoon.

It’s a dramatic cake, and one that is sure to take center stage at any gathering.

Recipe information

• Total Time 2 hours (plus chilling)
• Yield 12–14 servings

Preparation

• CompoteStep 1Cook 2 lb. plums (about 8 large), cut into 1" pieces, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often and smashing fruit with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until plums are broken up and mixture thickens to a jammy consistency, 10–15 minutes. (You can use a potato masher if you don’t have a sturdy spoon or spatula.) Stir in zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Let compote cool, then cover and chill until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Pâte à ChouxStep 2Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Coat bottoms of two 9"-diameter cake pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray; line with parchment paper rounds. Bring ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula to help butter melt and sugar and salt dissolve. Immediately reduce heat to medium and add 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour all in one go. Quickly stir until most of the flour is absorbed, then cook, stirring vigorously and breaking up pockets of dry flour as needed, until a thin film forms on bottom and sides of pan and dough comes together into a single mass, 2–3 minutes. (The dough should look glossy and feel buttery and smooth to the touch.) Transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and let sit until still warm but no longer super hot, about 10 minutes. Step 3Add 1 large egg to dough and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Repeat process 2 more times with remaining 2 large eggs. Step 4Divide batter between prepared cake pans and spread each into an even, flat layer. Bake pâte à choux side by side until golden brown and puffed, 32–35 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks and let pâte à choux cool slightly in pans. Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely. Reserve 1 pan for assembling cake.
• Filling and AssemblyStep 5Combine 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 2½ tsp.) and 2 Tbsp. cold water in the clean bowl of a stand mixer and let sit 5 minutes. Step 6Microwave ½ cup heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl until steaming, then add to gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin is melted. Attach clean paddle attachment and add 1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature, 2 cups (220 g) powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt to bowl. Beat on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with motor running, gradually pour in remaining 1½ cups heavy cream. Beat until combined, then increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, 45–90 seconds. Step 7Fold a long sheet of parchment paper or 2 shorter pieces in half lengthwise and wrap all the way around inside of reserved cake pan to create a collar that stands about 4" above edges of pan. Place a pâte à choux round in bottom of pan. Spoon alternating dollops of cream cheese mixture and plum compote on top and swirl together slightly (it should reach all the way to the sides). Place remaining pâte à choux round on top and press down slightly to compress. Chill at least 8 hours before serving. Step 8When ready to serve, carefully remove parchment paper from sides of pan. Place one hand on top of cake and in one swift motion, invert and remove pan from cake. Transfer cake to a cake stand or platter and dust with powdered sugar. Do Ahead: Cake (without powdered sugar) can be assembled 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled.