Plum cake with a streusel topping (Torta con susine)

The texture and acidity of the plums and the sweetness of crumbly topping made it both comforting and delicious, especially when eaten warm.

Plum cake with a streusel topping (Torta con susine) Credit: Paola Bacchia

• serves

  12

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

"Mamma used to make two different cakes with crumble toppings: one with apples and one with plums. The apple one had a topping that included granola, but the plum one was my favourite... We would pick plums at the end of summer from the trees in the backyard, make plum jam, stew a good portion of them and bake this cake many times over. I cannot be sure, but I think Mamma learned it from one of the Istrian ladies who went to the social club she and my father used to visit. This type of crumble topping over fruit and a cake base makes it a streusel cake, with roots firmly embedded in Germanic culture, rather than a crumble."

Ingredients

• 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 80 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 75 g (½ cup) spelt flour
• 75 g (½ cup) plain flour
• 1 heaped tsp baking powder
• 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sea salt
• 500 g plums
• 1 heaped tbsp raw sugar

For the crunchy topping

• 40 g spelt flour
• 40 g unsalted butter, chilled and finely diced
• 1½ tbsp raw sugar
• 40 g (⅓ cup) walnuts

This cake will last for a few days in a cool spot in a sealed container.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease the base and side of a 22 cm round springform baking tin, then line with baking paper.
2. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attached, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Once well combined, add the flours, baking powder, milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt, then beat again until well combined. The mixture will be quite thick.
3. Spoon the batter into the cake tin. Slice open the plums and remove the stones, then cut each plum into eighths. Place the plum pieces on top of the batter, so they form an even layer. Sprinkle the raw sugar over the top.
4. Place the topping ingredients, except the walnuts, in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and, using your fingers, crumble the mixture together. Finely chop the walnuts, then toss them through the crumble mixture. Sprinkle the lot over the plums.
5. Bake for about 50 minutes; the cake will be ready when the topping is brown, and a skewer inserted comes out clean (and the kitchen smells delicious).
6. Allow to cool for 5–10 minutes before removing from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 

Istria: Recipes and stories from the hidden heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia by Paola Bacchia, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $55.00). Photography by Paola Bacchia.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

"Mamma used to make two different cakes with crumble toppings: one with apples and one with plums. The apple one had a topping that included granola, but the plum one was my favourite... We would pick plums at the end of summer from the trees in the backyard, make plum jam, stew a good portion of them and bake this cake many times over. I cannot be sure, but I think Mamma learned it from one of the Istrian ladies who went to the social club she and my father used to visit. This type of crumble topping over fruit and a cake base makes it a streusel cake, with roots firmly embedded in Germanic culture, rather than a crumble."