Fresh Plum Cake (Pflaumenkuchen and Zwetschgenkuchen)

I was following the family recipe until I wasn’t. We only make the cake on an autumnal Connecticut day. However, we rarely have that day in New Orleans. Maybe in October, but without the colored leaves. That said, I have several photos from last fall that are amazingly reminiscent of a New England fall day. But, I digress.

We all have the recipe in a book that my sister Debbie (now Deb) put together and sent us called Omi’s Kitchen. I cannot find my copy. I must have misplaced it after moving out and back into our home after it was raised in 2016 (started 10 years after Hurricane Katrina). Below is the recipe in mom’s handwriting. Deb texted it to me and I followed the recipe on my phone.

I like to slice the plums rather than 1/2. I did not have rind so I used lemon juice — not to much (just a dop-a-tini – as Meghan used to say). I doubled the recipe but my math for cups is excellent but not so much for pounds. I used 1/2 cup instead of 1/2 pound ( about 1/2 recipe amount). I recommend following the recipe although mine was still yummy. Note, spread but not press the pie crust mixture (butter, sugar, rind, flour). I cannot tell you how many plums I used because I was being tortured by my kitchen faucet. I think 4 plums. But, that depends on how thinly you slice them. Last year I made a Clafoutis. I see similarities to the prep.

One more story about this recipe. As stated earlier, this recipe is an annual tradition. One time Pat (an ex) and I were in CT. Everyone was too lazy to make the cake. So, Pat offered to make our treat. Pat sliced the plums like peaches and as my photo shows for the plums. One-by-one each of my siblings and my step-dad, Alfie, wandered into the kitchen and said, “you are doing it wrong”. Alfie said, “you fuched it up” – with the “H”. It was still delicious but Pat was so annoyed and rightfully so. I highly recommend you make this cake and start tracking your family stories.