A Grand Polish Dessert Gets a Fresh Twist
Karpatka, also known as Carpathian Mountain cake, is a beloved Polish dessert that truly lives up to its dramatic name. Traditionally, it layers two disks of tender, billowing pâte à choux with a silky pastry cream lightened with whipped cream. In this creative riff from the Bon Appétit Bake Club, the classic filling is swapped for a no-bake cheesecake mixture, and a homemade plum compote weaves through it in a vibrant red ribbon. Senior test kitchen editors Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic share this must-make recipe.
Don’t worry if you can only find less-than-ideal unripe plums. As they cook, their skins soften and turn the compote a saturated red hue, while the added sugar and lemon juice heighten their natural flavors. The compote can be made a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge, or you can substitute store-bought jam for a more casual approach.
A single envelope of gelatin gives the filling enough structure to be sliceable while still soft enough to yield to a spoon. The result is a dramatic, showstopping cake that will take center stage at any gathering.
Recipe Information
- Total Time: 2 hours (plus chilling)
- Yield: 12–14 servings
Ingredients
Plum Compote
- 2 lb. plums (about 8 large), cut into 1″ pieces
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pâte à Choux
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray (for pans)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
Filling and Assembly
- 1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin (about 2½ tsp.)
- 2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (220 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
How to Make Plum Karpatka
Step 1: Make the Plum Compote
Cook 2 lb. plums, 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 the fruit with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until the plums are broken up and the mixture thickens to a jammy consistency, 10–15 minutes. A potato masher works too. Stir in the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Let cool, then cover and chill until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Step 2: Prepare the Pâte à Choux
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°. Coat the bottoms of two 9″-diameter cake pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray and 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 the butter melt and the sugar and salt dissolve. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and add 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour all at once. Stir quickly until most of the flour is absorbed, then cook, stirring vigorously and breaking up pockets of dry flour, until a thin film forms on the bottom and sides of the pan and the dough comes together into a single mass, 2–3 minutes. The dough should look glossy and feel buttery and smooth. Transfer 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 3: Add the Eggs
Add 1 large egg to the dough and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat with the remaining 2 large eggs. Then divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and spread each into an even, flat layer.
Step 4: Bake the Pâte à Choux
Bake the pâte à choux side by side until golden brown and puffed, 32–35 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool slightly in the pans. Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely. Reserve one pan for assembling the cake.
Step 5: Make the Filling
Combine 1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin (about 2½ tsp.) and 2 Tbsp. cold water in the clean bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes. Microwave ½ cup heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl until steaming, then add to the gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin is melted. Attach the 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. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and, with the motor running, gradually pour in the remaining 1½ cups heavy cream. Beat until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, 45–90 seconds.
Step 6: Assemble and Chill
Fold a long sheet of parchment paper (or two shorter pieces) in half lengthwise and wrap it all the way around the inside of the reserved cake pan to create a collar that stands about 4″ above the edges of the pan. Place one pâte à choux round in the bottom. Spoon alternating dollops of the cream cheese mixture and plum compote on top and swirl together slightly, making sure it reaches all the way to the sides. Place the remaining pâte à choux round on top and press down slightly to compress. Chill at least 8 hours before serving. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
The cake (without powdered sugar) can be assembled 12 hours ahead and kept chilled. The plum compote can be made up to 2 days in advance. Keep the finished cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
Recipe by Epicurious. Photograph by Travis Rainey, food styling by Micah Marie Morton, prop styling by Adrian Ababović.