Birthday Plum Cake

Farm Box brought us a nice kilo of blau Pflaumen (blue plums) yesterday. Since my birthday is this week, it was clear what needed to happen. Pflaumen Kuchen--Plum Cake. Natürlich!

I used one variation of the (in)famous NYT Plum Torte recipe, the popularity of which apparently quite vexed the Food section editors when readers demanded it be reprinted year after year. In 1989--the sixth time the recipe was published--the editor moaned, "It is beyond understanding why fans of the recipe do not just save it from year to year, instead of depending on its appearance in this column [. . .] laminate this one and, instead of filing it with your other recipes, tack it on the inside of the cupboard where you keep the flour. This could really be the last year the recipe is reprinted. Really!" Since the recipe I used was published in 2005, this was apparently not the case! Recipe and delicious results after the jump:

Birthday Plum Cake
3/4 c. + 1-2 tbl sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter (bring to room temp before starting) + extra for greasing the pan
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
12 plums, halved and pitted
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

I channeled my inner Oma and whipped up the batter with a wooden spoon in minutes. No need to lug out the electric mixer if your butter is at room temperature.

Step One: Preheat oven to 350F/180C and butter a baking dish. I used a 12" tart pan because that is the only pan in my sublet kitchen-for-nonbaking-giants (It's also the German way!). The recipe calls for an 8, 9, or 10" spring form. I'm willing to bet you could make this thing in virtually any dish you pleased.

Step Two: Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl.

Step Three: Beat in flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt. Mix well.

Step Four: Spoon batter into baking pan and spread evenly.

Step Five: Place plum halves closely together skin-side up on top of batter.

Pretty and barely ripe

Sprinkle with 1-2 tbl. of sugar (use less if plums are very sweet) and a couple tsp. of cinnamon.

Step Six: Bake for 40-50 minutes until edges are brown and middle has set. I had to cover mine with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning, so keep an eye on it.

This cake was so, so, good! Really delicious. LCBF decided that plums are greatly improved by adding them to kuchen, so between the two of us it is not at all clear that the cake will stick around long enough for my actual birthday. It's okay, I have claimed an entire birthday week this year (who are we kidding? That happens every year).

Why yes, yes we do eat with Lufthansa sporks in this house (the German Giants are inveterate airplane and hotel thieves).