This has been a long plum baking season for me. When the Italian prune plums were disappearing from the farmers markets, I discovered that Rodman's had an ample supply. As a bonus, the plums were only $1.59 a pound -- a fraction of what I've been paying at farmers markets (where Italian plums have been priced between $6-$7.50 a quart). So I couldn't resist buying more.
I decided to use them for a recipe from Gil Marks' The World of Jewish Desserts. The cookbook includes a recipe for "Fruchtkuchen (Ashkenazic Fruit Coffee Cake)" that calls for two cups of peeled, cored, and sliced unspecified fruit. The recipe offers several variations, including a "Pflaumenkuchen" one specifically for Italian prune plums. As I read through the recipe, I realized that it is very similar to the Marian Burros plum torte recipe that's been featured on epicurious and in The New York Times. I've made the Marian Burros torte and loved it, so I was interested to see how this coffee cake would compare.
The overall ingredient lists for the Marian Burros torte and Gil Marks' coffee cake are almost identical. But there is one significant difference in technique. The Burros torte has plums on top of cake batter, sprinkled lightly with sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. The Marks coffee cake has a more substantial topping of sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts. Where the Burros torte calls for 3/4-1 cup sugar in the batter (depending on personal preference), the Marks coffee cake has 1/2 cup of sugar in the cake batter and 1/3 cup in the topping -- so the overall sweetness level should be the same.
This cake comes together quickly. You beat softened butter until smooth; gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy; add eggs and vanilla; and incorporate the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). I doubled the recipe and poured the batter into a parchment-lined 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Then I arranged two pounds of quartered Italian prune plums on top; I had enough fruit to cover all of the batter. I sprinkled on a topping made of sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts and then dotted the fruit with butter before baking.
This cake is delicious. I might even give it the edge over the Marian Burros torte because I like the addition of the nuts and the extra boost of cinnamon. The flavors are simple and straightforward but the wonderful thing about Italian prune plums is that it doesn't require much to turn them into a beautiful dessert. You can't go wrong with either this cake or the Marian Burros torte.
Recipe: "Plfaumenkuchen (Ashkenazic Plum Coffee Cake)," from The World of Jewish Desserts by Gil Marks.
Previous Posts:
I decided to use them for a recipe from Gil Marks' The World of Jewish Desserts. The cookbook includes a recipe for "Fruchtkuchen (Ashkenazic Fruit Coffee Cake)" that calls for two cups of peeled, cored, and sliced unspecified fruit. The recipe offers several variations, including a "Pflaumenkuchen" one specifically for Italian prune plums. As I read through the recipe, I realized that it is very similar to the Marian Burros plum torte recipe that's been featured on epicurious and in The New York Times. I've made the Marian Burros torte and loved it, so I was interested to see how this coffee cake would compare.
The overall ingredient lists for the Marian Burros torte and Gil Marks' coffee cake are almost identical. But there is one significant difference in technique. The Burros torte has plums on top of cake batter, sprinkled lightly with sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. The Marks coffee cake has a more substantial topping of sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts. Where the Burros torte calls for 3/4-1 cup sugar in the batter (depending on personal preference), the Marks coffee cake has 1/2 cup of sugar in the cake batter and 1/3 cup in the topping -- so the overall sweetness level should be the same.
This cake comes together quickly. You beat softened butter until smooth; gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy; add eggs and vanilla; and incorporate the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). I doubled the recipe and poured the batter into a parchment-lined 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Then I arranged two pounds of quartered Italian prune plums on top; I had enough fruit to cover all of the batter. I sprinkled on a topping made of sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts and then dotted the fruit with butter before baking.
Recipe: "Plfaumenkuchen (Ashkenazic Plum Coffee Cake)," from The World of Jewish Desserts by Gil Marks.
Previous Posts:
- "Doubly Delightful: Plum Cake with a Double Base," September 30, 2017.
- "The Pure Pleasure of Purple Plums: Purple Plum Tart (Plómukaka)," September 23, 2017.
- "Where's the Plum in My Plum Cake?: Spiced Plum Streusel Cake with Toffee Glaze," September 19, 2017.
- "Plum Pizza, Anyone?: Pflaumenstreuselkuchen (Yeasted Plum Cake with Streusel)," September 17, 2017.
- "The Crust Is Dark, but the Fruit Shines: Italian Plum Almond Tart," September 16, 2017.
- "Five Minutes to Plum Heaven: Plum Torte," September 3, 2012.
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