The Easiest Plum Coffee Cake Recipe You’ll Be Making Over And Over Again

I want to introduce you to the easiest and most delicious plum coffee cake that I used to make still back in Poland and which I still make to this day. It takes only a few ingredients and is ready in under an hour. So, let’s bake the Polish plum cake.

Why Polish Plum Cake?

When I was growing up, my parents would get lots of visitors. Friends would announce themselves a day in advance, a few hours in advance, or not at all, and just pop in for a cup of coffee or tea and a chat.

I’m not sure but I suspect, it had something to do with the fact that Poland was a closed-off, pretty much totalitarian society in these days under communist rule. Whereas you had to watch your words in public and at work, the private lives of the citizens were flourishing much more than today. People knew that they were free in the sanctity of their homes and in those of their close and trusted friends.

And so, no occasion for a libation was missed – birthdays, name days, other occasions such as International Women’s Day or All Saints Day – all of these were times for visiting, eating, drinking, and commiserating about the regime and the lackluster prospects for the future.

When the visitors arrived, they would immediately be placed at the table and the hosts would treat the guests to whatever they had in the house. And, since the assortment of foods and other goods was very limited, especially in the times of the economic crisis of the mid-1980s, pretty much everyone was baking in other to have something in the house in case someone visited.

In my home, I was the baker from the moment I entered high school. I would bake every Saturday, for the family mainly, because I had much less time during the week.

But when some guests announced a visit during the week, we had a quick and easy cake to fall back onto – a coffee cake with plums or other fruit. The ingredients were in the house, and the entire process from start to finish took no more than one hour. And voila, the cake was ready to serve the guest in no time at all.

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Plum Coffee Cake (Or Any Fruit Cake)

I tend to make this cake with plums but you could make it with any fruit that is available or even use frozen fruit during winter months. I prefer plums because they are so juicy and the juice seeps all over the cake, making it super moist and delicious.

Until recently, my parents had a little allotment cottage where they had a few fruit trees which bore cherries, plums, and apples so there was something to pick from June through October. They made jams, and pickles, and used the fruit in cakes as well. Earlier in the spring, strawberries or raspberries were a good choice to use in baked goods, and in winter, frozen blueberries would work just fine.

Are Plums Good for You?

Glad you asked! Plums, along with other stone fruit, are one of the healthiest fruits out there.

Plums and prunes are impressively high in nutrients. They contain over 15 different vitamins and minerals, in addition to fiber and antioxidants.

Healthline

Here are a few of the specific benefits of plums for your health:

• They are chockful of vitamin C which helps you stay energetic, build lean muscle, and strengthen your immune system.
• Phytochemicals in plums lower the inflammation that triggers heart disease.
• Like prunes – which are dried plums – they help relieve constipation and get things moving through the GI system.
• The antioxidants in plums help you fight against the cell and tissue damage that can lead to diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.
• They provide lots of fiber which not only helps with regularity but can also keep your blood sugar regulated.

Cake with Plums is Best Right Out of the Oven

Now that we clarified how healthy plums are, we can embark on a guilt-free baking adventure.

I am a proponent of wholesome ingredients and measured enjoyment of real food. My cakes have calories in them because I use real butter, real eggs, real sugar, and real flour when baking.

Of course, I would not advocate eating the entire cake in one session all by yourself, but the cake is best when eaten fresh, so make sure to have a few people to share it with.

Ingredients for Plum Coffee Cake

The recipe my mom wrote for me when I was leaving for the USA read thus:

6 plums, 4 eggs, and as much as they (the eggs) weigh of sugar, butter, and flour

Literally, this was the recipe! LOL

Here is how it translates into actual measurements:

• 2 lbs of stone fruit or berries
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• Zest and juice from 1 lemon
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Breadcrumbs for dusting the pan

How to Make a Plum Cake

This really is easy and fast. Since the baking time is only 40-50 minutes, with luck, you could be done within an hour.

• Preheat oven to 350°. Wash the plums. Cut in halves and remove the pits.
• In a bowl or standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs.
• In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
• With the mixer running on low, start adding the flour alternating with the lemon juice.
• Add lemon zest.
• Grease and dust with breadcrumbs a 10-in. springform pan.
• Pour the batter into the pan (it should be on the thicker side)
• Arrange plums on top by gently pressing them into the batter.
• Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove the side of the pan.
• Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Here you go, a super easy plum cake recipe! Serve with coffee or tea and watch it disappear in minutes.

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