Cherry Plumcake

Cherry plumcake is a great sweet to enjoy at breakfast or as a snack. Here is an Italian version of this delicious recipe.

Ingredients

• 200 g of fresh or frozen cherries
• 180 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 100 g of soft butter
• 100 ml of milk
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• Icing sugar (for garnishing)
• Butter and flour for greasing the pan

Preparation

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180 °C (360 °F). Butter and flour a plumcake tin or line it with parchment paper.
2. Wash, dry, and pit the cherries. If you prefer, you can halve them or leave them whole.
3. In a bowl, cream the soft butter with the sugar until smooth.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing to stir after each addition.
5. Mix in the milk to the mixture and combine well.
6. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
7. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing gently to avoid lumps.
8. Finally, gently fold the cherries into the batter, making sure to distribute them evenly.
9. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level it with a spatula.
10. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the plumcake comes out clean.
11. Once baked, let the plumcake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Before serving, dust with icing sugar for a final touch.

Curiosity

Despite the name, plumcake does not necessarily contain plums. The term comes from the British tradition of making tea cakes with this fruit, but over time it has evolved to describe a variety of rectangular baked sweets, often prepared with other types of fruit or additives. In Italy, we love to personalize plumcake by adding typical Italian pastry ingredients, like the cherries in this recipe, to give a touch of freshness and seasonality to the dessert.