Tender Plum Cake with Cream Cheese and Walnut Meringue

Preparation method

• Tips for a Perfect Plum Cake
  Keep the dough as tender as possible. The butter should remain cold, and the dough should only be kneaded until it comes together. This will help keep the base tender after baking.
  Use ripe but still firm plums. Very juicy plums can release a lot of liquid during baking, which may make the cream cheese layer too moist.
  Cook the plums only as much as needed. Let them cook in the pan for a few minutes, until they soften slightly and release some of their juice, then add the cornstarch. The sauce will thicken quickly and become glossy, while the plums will retain their shape and flavor. We don’t want to turn them into jam—they will cook again in the oven.
  Keep the meringue light and airy. Beat the egg whites until they form a firm, glossy foam, but don’t overbeat them into a very dry meringue.
• Preparing the Tender Dough
  Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), using conventional top-and-bottom heat. Line a 20 × 30 cm (8 × 12-inch) baking pan with parchment paper.
  Add the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter, cut into cubes, and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, then pulse again in short bursts, just until the dough starts to come together.
  If the dough is too dry, gradually add 1–2 tablespoons of cold milk, just until it begins to hold together.
  Don’t let the food processor run continuously. Stop as soon as the mixture starts forming clumps and can be gathered into a dough. This keeps the butter cold and ensures a tender, buttery base.
  Remove the dough from the food processor, shape it into a disc, wrap it, and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
• Blind-Baking the Base
  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a rectangle roughly the size of the baking pan. Transfer it to the pan and gently press it into an even layer.
  Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes, until the surface is set and the edges begin to brown very lightly.
  The base should not be fully baked at this stage, as it will go back into the oven with the remaining layers. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside while you prepare the cream cheese filling.
• Preparing the Cream Cheese Filling
  Place the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and mix briefly until smooth. Add the egg, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt. Mix until the filling is smooth and homogeneous. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the partially baked base.
• Preparing the Plums
  Wash the plums, remove the pits, and keep the halves intact. If they are very large, you can cut them in half again.
  Place the plums in a skillet, add the sugar and cinnamon, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes, gently stirring from time to time.
  We don’t want to cook them too much. They only need to soften slightly and start releasing their juices. The plums should retain their shape, as they will continue cooking in the oven.
• Once the plums have released enough juice, add the cornstarch and stir gently. Continue cooking for another 1–2 minutes, until the juices thicken into a glossy sauce that coats the plums. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the plums cool slightly.
• Arrange the plums together with the sauce over the cream cheese layer. There’s no need to spread the sauce perfectly evenly; it will settle between the plums as the cake bakes, adding flavor and texture to the fruit layer.
• Preparing the Walnut Meringue
  Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and add the salt. Beat until the egg whites become foamy, then gradually add the sugar and continue beating until you have a firm, glossy meringue.
  Add the vanilla extract, ground walnuts, and cornstarch. Fold gently until everything is well incorporated.
• The final mixture will be denser than a classic meringue. This is the consistency we need, as the meringue should be spreadable over the plums without running between them.
• Assembling and Baking
  Spread the walnut meringue over the plum layer and gently smooth it out with a spatula.
  There’s no need to create a perfectly smooth surface. The little peaks and uneven areas will brown beautifully in the oven, giving the cake that rustic, homemade look.
  Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (340°F) and return the pan to the oven. Bake for approximately 30–35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the edges are set.
• Cooling the Cake
  Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan. As it cools, the cream cheese layer will set, while the walnut meringue will become firmer.
  For the cleanest slices, refrigerate the cake for another 1–2 hours once it has cooled completely. Cut it with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between slices.
• Serving
  You can serve the cake as it is, since all the layers are flavorful enough on their own, or pair it with a little plain whipped cream or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.
  The cake has a rustic, homemade look. There’s no need for the layers to be perfectly even or for the meringue topping to be completely smooth. Those little imperfections are exactly what give it its charm.
• Storage
  Once cooled, store the cake in the refrigerator in a well-covered container for up to 3 days. Serve it chilled or let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
  It’s even better the next day: the layers are more settled, the cream is nicely set, and the flavors of plum, lemon, and walnut come together even more beautifully.