Lithuanian Plum Cake (Slyvų Pyragas)
In Lithuania, a pyragas isn't cake in the layered, frosted sense — it's a home-style tray or tin bake built around a simple butter dough and whatever fruit is in season. Plums (slyvos) turn up constantly, right alongside apples and rhubarb. This version of Lithuanian Plum Cake gives you three textures from one bowl of batter: a soft, spoonable cake base, a juicy plum layer, and a crisp streusel top.
Equipment
- 9-inch (23cm) springform pan
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb (500g) plums, ripe but firm, pitted and quartered
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp (120g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
Streusel topping
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup (110)g cold unsalted butter cubed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan and line the base with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla bean paste.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add to the wet ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined, don't overmix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the quartered plums on top in circles.
- Make the streusel: mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub the cold butter into the mixture with your fingertips until it forms coarse crumbs. Scatter evenly over the plums.
- Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the streusel is golden and a skewer inserted into the cake (avoiding a plum) comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the edge and release the springform. Cool completely to room temperature before slicing.
Notes
1. Don't cut this cake warm, the center needs to fully set as it cools, or you'll get a wet slice.
2. If your plums are very juicy, pat them dry after quartering so the batter doesn't go gummy underneath.
3. Streusel should look like coarse breadcrumbs, not a paste, if it's clumping into a dough, your butter's too warm; chill it 10 minutes and try again.