You know those plums I went on about in my last post the ‘Zwetschgen’, damson plums or Italian Prune plums (which I have since found out is another name for them)…well, here’s another receipe featuring them but this time in form of a jam, or fruit butter as they would say in the States.

Pflaumenmus, aka plum jam or plum butter, is a very popular plum spread in Germany, often spiced with a hint of cinnamon and cloves. Lots of Germans will be making it right now, using up the harvest from their gardens and my gran makes a great one that we all take jars back home from.

Pflaumenmus is very thick and has an almost black colour due its high fruit content. It’s not that easy to find something like this in English shops but I have found a similar plum jam in Polish shops here in London and, of course, in the German Delis too. You could also make it yourself if you like, using this receipe for example.

Once you have got the Pflaumenmus in your larder you can make this cake all year round.
My gran always has and continues to do so, even as a 85-year old lady. The cake I photographed here was actually made by her just a few weeks ago! And she is very pleased that I am spreading the receipe for it here…

For one large tray you’ll need:

• 350g flour
• 150g butter
• 5 egg yolks
• 120g caster sugar
• 12g baking powder (which is circa 3 tsps or if you are German and are using a Germany baking powder sachet, ¾ of the typical German baking powder sachet)

• 1 medium sized jar of Pflaumenmus aka plum jam/ plum butter

• 5 egg whites
• 200g designated coconut
• 50g ground almonds
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 – 2 tsps of almond extract, depending on the brand (my gran uses a whole vial of Dr Oetker Bitter-Mandel Aroma)

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

Start with the base by mixing the baking powder with the flour and kneading all the dough ingredients together – the baking powder and flour mix, butter, egg yolks and sugar – until well combined and you have a smooth dough.

Spread the dough onto the baking tray and top it with a nice layer of plum jam. You want at least the thickness of 1cm or more of the jam. My gran usually uses one medium sized jam jar for one cake.

For the topping, whisk the egg whites together and once they are stiff, slowly pour the sugar in whilst continuing to whisk. Then fold the almonds and coconut under along with the almond extract and spread the mix on top of the plum jam.

Bake the cake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the top gets a golden brown colour. Leave to cool in the tray and cut in square pieces which make for a nice breakfast or brunch bite as the cake is not too sweet and goes well with a cup of coffee.

The cake will last for up to a week in an airtight Tupperware type container in the fridge.