My Japanese plum trees are groaning with their bounty. For the second day in a row, I have picked dozens of tiny, perfect fruit. Without too much effort, my thoughts turn to baking a cake that is rich with butter and sugar but isn’t too sweet. I can picture the plums bringing their fresh tartness as well as their gorgeous purple color to a taste treat that can only be made in mid-summer.

We enjoyed a cake like this years ago in the kitchen of a family who my grandparents sponsored to emigrate from Germany. Maria and Leo’s love of cooking and their culture was a logical inducement to them opening what was a very successful restaurant in Dublin, New Hampshire. Although the Burghof closed its doors when they retired, I can stir fond memories when I take a bite of this juicy, rich delight.

For the cake:

¼ pound butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 egg

1 Tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt

1 teaspoon dried lemon peel

1¾ cup unbleached wheat flour or brown rice flour

1 teaspoon double acting baking powder

2 cups fresh prune plums,* pitted and sliced into halves

For the streusel topping:

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup granulated or brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup unbleached wheat flour or brown rice flour

Wash the plums well and cut in half, being careful to remove the pits. If you are unable to obtain tiny prune plums, cut larger fruit into quarters. Set the fruit aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, egg, and lemon peel and combine well.

In a separate bowl, add the baking powder to the flour and stir. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Turn the dough into the prepared cake pan. With your clean hands, pat the dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Scrape the bowl and beater well to make sure all the dough is in the pan. Arrange the prepared plums on top of the dough. If you like, and your plums sliced neatly, you may make a pretty pattern, but this is not necessary. Just make sure you have an even layer of fruit on top of the dough. Set the cake pan aside and make the streusel.

Using the bowl and beater left from making the dough, cream the butter and sugar until well mixed. Add the cinnamon and flour and stir until incorporated. Crumble the streusel on top of the fruit. If the streusel doesn’t crumble, just drop bits and pieces over the cake.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, making sure that the bottom doesn’t burn. I prefer to use a glass baking pan so that I can check the color of the cake. The plums will give off a lot of juice. When the cake and streusel are a nice golden brown, remove the pan carefully from the oven and let cool completely to room temperature. This may take several hours.

Serve as is or topped with ice cream or crème Chantilly. Enjoy!

*You may substitute other kinds of fruit for the plums. Blueberries, peaches or pears would all make a delicious cake. Use fruit that’s fresh and in season where you live, ideally that you have picked yourself or purchased from a local farmers’ market.

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