This delicious and simple plum cake uses the same dough for the base and the crumble topping. Originating from Germany it’s a wonderful taste of summer and perfect for an afternoon coffee or tea.

Preparation time: 45 minutes (+ 45 minutes baking)

What you need:

1 ½ sticks/6 oz (170g) butter (room temperature); do not substitute with margarine

¾ cup (150g) sugar

2 ½ cups (300g) wheat flour

1 ¾ lb (800g) plums (with pits)

1 tablespoon sugar, for sprinkling

Springform pan or other ovenproof dish, about 9–10 in (24 cm)

How to do it:

Pre-heat oven to 350F (180 C).

Butter the springform pan and dust with a little flour to prevent sticking.

In a large bowl, combine flour, butter and sugar. Mix with your hands until you have a crumbly mixture. Bring it together in a ball and place it in the fridge.

Wash the plums, cut them open, remove the pits, and quarter them. If they are large you can cut them into smaller pieces.

Take about half (or slightly more) of the dough and use your hands to press it firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Make sure there are no holes or very thin areas.

Arrange the cut plums over the dough and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Use the remaining dough and crumble it over the plums. The size of the crumbs doesn’t matter.

Bake at 350F (180C) for about 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream if you like.

Enjoy!