Plum Cake (Pflaumenkuchen)
It’s a tender cake, with a fragrant note of vanilla in the batter, that rises up and surrounds dark, sweet purple plums, gently baking them along with the cake. It’s an old German recipe, one that celebrates this splendid fruit of the summer. Quick and easy to pull together, it delivers a gorgeous blend of a Southern cobbler and a light vanilla cake with a tender crumb.
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Large baking dish, 13"x9"x 2" or large oval
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour, measured after sifting*
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup milk
- 7 to 8 ripe plums, cut in half and seeded
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Sweetened whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
- Cream the butter on medium speed then slowly add the sugar, about ¼ of a cup at a time. Beat until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs on medium speed, one at a time, beating well into the butter and sugar then blend in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour and the baking powder.
- Mix it into the batter, about ½ cup at a time, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Spread the batter into a large baking dish, (13”x9”x2”) that has been sprayed with a cooking spray. Nestle the plum halves into the batter.
- Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and tests done.
- While the cake is still warm, dust it with powdered sugar.
- Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
*Measure the flour after you've sifted it. This will give you a lighter, more tender cake.