You don’t always need a cake to make a celebration a success. This cake, with its delicate yeast-shortcrust pastry, fragrant layer of jam, and airy meringue, is a true classic of home baking. It used to be made only for big events, but now I bake it on weekdays and for holidays – it always gets rave reviews.
Ingredients
Dough:
- Flour — 350 g
- Butter – 100 g (can be replaced with margarine or spread)
- Sugar — 20 g
- Dry yeast – 7 g (or 20 g fresh)
- Salt – a pinch
- Egg yolks — 3 pcs.
- Warm milk — 150 ml
Filling:
- Jam / jam / marmalade — 500 g
- Cornstarch — 15 g (if the jam is liquid)
Meringue:
- Proteins – 4 pcs.
- Powdered sugar or sugar – 150 g
- Vanilla sugar — 1 packet
- Lemon juice — 1 tbsp. spoon (optional)
Preparation
- Cut the butter into cubes, freeze it slightly, and rub it with flour into crumbs.
- Add yeast, sugar, and salt. If the yeast is fresh, dissolve it in warm milk.
- Mix the yolks and milk, knead a thick dough (similar to plasticine). Leave in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours.
- Roll out the dough into a layer the size of the baking sheet, form the sides. Pierce with a fork.
- Beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon juice. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the jam on the dough and place the meringue on top (with a piping bag or spoon).
- Bake at 180 °C for about 35 minutes until golden brown.
This pie always looks festive and tastes like a delicate dessert that even replaces a cake!