From the Archives: Originally posted June 2013
The warm Mediterranean sun, lightly tickles my face as I lay in bed, blinking profusely, fighting not to wake up. Then I remember I’m in Italy. Suddenly, my eyes open wide and my face lights up. Time for breakfast.
At the bar, I enjoy the aroma of the espresso as it dances down from the machine’s sprout, into its clean white cup. The bartender, places the tiny vessel on to its saucer located in front of me on the cool, marble counter. Followed by a pleasant ting of the tiny spoon completing the ensemble. Typically, a warm, crispy and buttery croissant is accompanying it but, being that I’m only fantasizing about my mornings in Italy, I wake up to the reality that I’m in my home kitchen sipping my house made espresso, in a tiny cup without a saucer. Although the coffee is delicious, it’s not quite the same as the Italian caffe experience.
No, there’s no assortment of warm croissants waiting to be embraced by my salivating mouth or dunked in my occasional morning cappuccino. No.
This morning, I’m having a different Italian morning treat: a plum cake [my homemade one is pictured]. Thanks to my friend Angelica for the simple recipe and to my cousin Pina for her farm fresh eggs, my plum cake was perfect in every way: rich, full of lemony aroma, and just gosh darn delicious. I don’t have a recipe to share, but a simple web search can pull one up for you.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.magnusmade.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/img_6378-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
The plum cake boasts an English name because the derived from British plum cake; which has a similar base with the addition of prunes or plums (or other fruits). For even more flavor, Angelica suggest I add pineapple yogurt to my next batch.
The plum cake is not so foreign to Italians. Similar to the ciambella – another sponge-cake-like treat that uses milk as one of its ingredients. The plum cake’s fluffy yellow richness comes from the use of yogurt instead of milk.
Another difference: The ciambella is typically baked in a circular form, with a hole in its center; whereas the plum cake is baked in a bread loaf tin.
A slice of plum cake is typically served at breakfast time or as an afternoon snack. It is mostly offered to children, but adults do enjoy in the revelry of the spongy richness.
Popular Italian cookie manufacturer Mulino Bianco offers mini versions of plum cake. I remember my summers in Italy: my grandmother would often have Mulino Bianco treats available for breakfast (and snack time). Typically we had brioche, mini cake or some sort of cookie made by the popular brand. And I would dip whatever treat on hand into my cup of warm milk; which included just a drop of coffee.