I've usually only eaten plums whole with juice dripping off my elbows, then spitting the pit as far as I can manage. In my adulthood, that is the compost bin! But they are certainly delicious especially in desserts. And this Italian Plum Cake is just one of the many delicious options. It holds its own as a breakfast cake, a tea cake, or a dessert with a bit of whole whipped cream.
Plums hold a special place in my memory because I remember loads of the luscious fruit in France as a kid. I'd have to verify with Mom as to whether my memory of sitting in plum trees chomping down on fruit after fruit is an actual memory or not, but I at least do remember plums in France!
My mother-in-law tells of a Zwetschegenkuchen being made in the family bakery in Germany when she was a child. I wish I could say that this recipe is THAT one, but I can't. The Zwetschegenkuchen, as I understand it, is made with a yeasted dough. And this one, most decidely, is not. However, it can perhaps allow us a nod back to the family bakery.
History of this recipe
First published in the New York Times by food columnist Marian Burros in 1983, the recipe had been given to her by Lois Levine, who co-authored the cookbook Elegant but Easy. The recipe was published every year during plum season between then and 1995. As you can imagine, it has been made in a few versions over the years, but I agree with Smitten Kitchen that the original was perfect as it was.
How are Italian plums different?
There are many types of plums ... red, golden, plump, juicy ... and then there are the thin Italian plums that are just as juicy as their plump counterparts.
Italian plums are a large oblong-shaped variety. The skin is thin and surrounds a firm, juicy flesh that holds a pit that is easily removed. It is rich and has a sweet flavor. The pulp is a greenish, amber color when the fruit is raw, but it is a deep shade of pink when cooked. You can see that change from the photo above to the last photo in this post.
The cake starts with a simple creaming of the butter and sugar, then adding the eggs.
The flour, salt, and baking powder are then added and mixed in completely. This is a simple cake!
Now for the magic!
The cake is simple. So the WOW factor comes from the fruit ... Italian Plums. Just cut them in half and nestle them into that simple cake batter.
Sprinkle them over with sugar and cinnamon and bake.
When it comes out of the oven, the plums will be cozied into the batter and totally juicy.
How to serve
I've tasted this warm and I've eaten it a couple of days after baking. I can say with all confidence that it is delicious either way. However, the longer it sits, the juicier the fruit becomes and permeates the cake. You make your own preferential choice.
Recipe
Italian Plum Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free 1:1 flour blend 125 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 5 grams
- large pinch of salt
- 1 cup organic cane sugar (plus 1-2 Tablespoons extra for the topping) or coconut palm sugar 200 grams
- ½ cup butter, softened 115 grams or 8 Tablespoons
- 2 large eggs
- 12 small Italian plums halved and pitted
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 10 ml
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch round baking dish by buttering it.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar together until fluffy and light in color. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients, mixing until combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Arrange the plums, skin side up, over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the top with lemon juice, then cinnamon, then 1-2 Tablespoons of sugar depending on how sweet the plums are.
- Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of batter, about 45-60 minutes. If it is getting too brown, but is still not set in the middle, place a piece of foil on top without tightening it down around the baking dish.
- Cool on a rack. When it is at least at room temperature, (or even the next day when the juices are all soaked back into the batter!), cut into wedges and enjoy!
LB
I love this recipe, I’ve made it a few times, and the cake turns out super moist and just a tad crunchy, which I think is perfect! I am curious, though—can anyone actually get 12 plums in there? I cut up 5 this time, and it completely covered the top of the cake. There’s no way I could’ve fit 6, let alone 12! Still, great recipe, I do enjoy cooking it, and it smells delicious in the oven.
Tammy Circeo
I'm glad you love it! If you are using regular sized plums, I can see how you can only fit 5. Italian plums are quite a bit smaller so it's possible to fit 12. That's the curious nature of the recipe title ... is it the cake that is Italian or the plums? 🙂 It's the plums!
Ruth F
Good! My hubby prefers less sweet, so I'm going to try a half cup of sugar in the batter.
Tammy Circeo
I would suggest making it once without reducing the sugar ... just to see. This cake doesn't come out tasting super sweet anyway, in my opinion, so I would hesitate to reduce it at all. Many think that sugar only contributes to taste in a recipe, but it plays other significant roles. For example, when creamed with butter, it creates a light and fluffy texture. Sugar is also involved in the processes of caramelization which impacts both flavor and texture. If the original recipe is too sweet, then I would starting with reducing the sugar by only one-third.
Caroline
We have a couple of Italian plum trees, so we decided to try this recipe! We had it baking in the oven for about 15 minutes before we got hit with a power outage, so we had to remove it from the oven and it sat for 4 hours before the power returned. We then put it back in the oven while the oven was preheating, figuring that it couldn’t hurt since we thought it would be a total loss anyway, but how wrong we were! It turned out amazing and we ate it hot out of the oven at midnight! I’ve now made it a second time, minus the power outage, and it was just as good! Thank you for this amazing and forgiving recipe! We’ll be making it often!
Tammy Circeo
That is so crazy! I wouldn't have expected it to continue baking successfully, but what a wonderful midnight snack!
Christina
Mine turned out pretty flat. Is that normal?
Tammy Circeo
It shouldn't have turned out flat. I'm sorry for that. Did you follow all the directions exactly and double-check all the ingredients?
Nadine
I've made this cake several times--and it's always delicious. But the last 2 times I made it, the fruit sunk and you can no longer see it at the top of the cake. Do you know what's happening? (I don't think I'm doing anything different than the other times.)
Tammy Circeo
This happens to me sometimes as well. I'm not sure what causes it sometimes and not others, but I have a couple of theories. One is that perhaps I've overwhipped the butter and sugar. Another is that perhaps I didn't put enough fruit on ... followed the recipe, but maybe the fruit was smaller than other times. I like when the fruit shows because it's so pretty, but it's still delicious even when the plums go hiding.
Ar
Wish I could share a photo. This turned out absolutely beautiful and super delicious. A moist and fruity cake with crispy, gooey buttery edges.
I quartered the plums, and arranged tightly in a circle over the top, skin side up as recommended. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Tammy Circeo
I'm so glad you loved it! I adore the crispy, gooey buttery edges!
helen raduka
I have a very similar recipe that I have been doing for years. German plum cake (no yeast) not bready, more cake like. I use Italian free stone plums, like this recipe, but, skin side DOWN. Much better, and everyone Loves my cake. I buy the plums in late summer when they are available, and pit them, put 20-23 in a freezer bag, and I can make this cake all year round.
Tammy Circeo
I'm sure your cake is absolutely delicious! I'd love to taste it with a cup of tea. 🙂
Katie
I had a bunch of overripe plums from a neighborhood tree and found this recipe! It was so good! Thank you for sharing!
Tammy Circeo
Oh! I'm so glad you made it and loved it!