Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 150 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 g brown sugar
- 2 egg
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 2½ g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Topping and Serving
- 680 g italian prune plums, pitted and sliced
- 60 g brown sugar
- confectioners' sugar
- 180 ml heavy cream, whipped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 449 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 54 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 41 g
- Sodium
- 214 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 112 mg
- Potassium
- 237 mg
- Calcium
- 79 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Phosphorus
- 80 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 255 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 39 mcg
- Water
- 102 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Apply butter and a light coating of flour to the interior of a 9-inch springform pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat 120g of butter and 175g of brown sugar together until the mixture is pale and airy.
Incorporate the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
Pass the flour, baking powder, and salt through a sifter into a separate bowl to remove lumps.
Slowly fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring only until no streaks of flour remain.
Stir the vanilla extract into the batter until evenly distributed.
Transfer the batter to the springform pan and smooth the surface into an even layer.
Place the plum slices across the top of the batter in an organized pattern.
Distribute the remaining sugar over the plums and place small pieces of the remaining 30g of butter across the top.
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 1 hour. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan before releasing the sides. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream.
Chef's Notes
- For a richer crumb topping, consider adding a tablespoon or two of chopped nuts like almonds or pecans to the streusel mixture.
- Ensure your butter and eggs are truly at room temperature for the cake batter; this is crucial for achieving a light and tender crumb.
- Don't overmix the batter once the flour is added. Overworking the gluten can lead to a tough cake.
- Italian prune plums are ideal for their balance of sweetness and tartness and their ability to hold their shape during baking. If using other plum varieties, adjust sugar slightly based on their sweetness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in plastic and foil.
Reheating: Warm slices in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 5-10 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Cake is soggy in the center
Cause: Plums released too much moisture or cake was underbaked
Fix: Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes if the toothpick test fails
Prevention: Ensure plums are sliced thinly and the oven is fully preheated
Cultural Context
Plum cake, or 'Pflaumenkuchen', is a beloved classic in German baking, particularly popular during plum season in late summer and early autumn. It's a staple at family gatherings, coffee hours ('Kaffeezeit'), and as a comforting dessert, showcasing the region's abundant fruit harvests.
