Polish Plum Cake Recipe - Ciasto ze Śliwkami - Polish Foodies (2024)

Every year from mid-summer to somewhere around mid-October, you will find that the Polish farms are brimming with plums. It is in this season that you will find that plums are not only easily accessible but also very cheap. In fact, some people may even be lucky enough to have a fruit-bearing tree in their garden.

The abundance of plums means that everyone gets to work with recipes that use them as an ingredient. Polish plum cake is one very popular recipe that is used at this time of the year. Extremely easy to use and fun to make with young kids. Polish plum cake makes a great snack at teatime. People even have it as a light dessert after a heavy dinner.

Why Use Plums?

Aside from being cheap and easily accessible in Poland, plums also have an intriguing flavor. They are both sweet and tart. This gives the cake a nice complex flavor. One must understand that while we use sugar in this recipe, most of the sweetness comes from the fruit itself. It is one of the reasons why the cake remains light and a delight to eat.

Plums are an extremely nutritious food. They contain loads of fiber and are very low in calories. Plums are also packed with vitamins and minerals. You will find many people snacking on the fruit when plums are plentiful in the market. When fresh plums are not available, the Polish turn to prunes, which are essentially dried plums.

Polish Plum Cake Recipe – Ciasto ze Śliwkami

Part I – Mix All The Ingredients

Add 3 cups (360g) of all purpose flour, 1 cup (200g) of sugar, 1 cup (200g) of butter, 1 tsp of baking powder and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients together. You can do this using your hand or using a food processor. The ingredients will form a smooth dough.

One thing to note is that the shortbread dough needs to be cold. That is why it is very important to use cold butter and not overmix. Remember the warmth from your hand can also cause the butter to melt. So be quick.

Part II – Divide The Dough Into 2 Parts.

Part III – Line The 9×9′ Baking Pan With Parchment Paper.

The use of parchment paper as a lining for the baking pan will help ensure that the cake does not stick to the sides. It also helps you remove the cake easily once you are done baking.

Part IV – Place One Part Of The Dough Inside The Pan.

Place one part of the dough inside the lined pan. I spread it with my fingers then roll it out inside the pan with a pizza roller. Alternatively, you may roll it out first, then transfer it into the pan. How you do it is a personal preference.

Part V – Prick The Dough With A Fork.

Part VI – Place The Pan And The Second Part Of The Dough In The Fridge Or Freezer For 30 Minutes.

Place the pan in the freezer. This will allow the shortbread to set. The second half of the dough should also be placed in the freezer. You can also place it in the fridge. The idea is that the butter in the mixture needs to solidify. It should not be sticky or slippery to touch when you remove it.

Part VII – Wash And Pit The Plums.

While the pan and the dough are sitting in the fridge/freezer, get started with the plums. Wash the plums well and remove the seeds. Keep them aside for the next step.

Part VIII – Preheat The Oven To 374°f (190°c).

Part IX – Place pitted plums on the dough.

Remove the pan from the freezer and start placing the pitted plums on the dough. This forms the second layer of the cake.

Part X – Crumble The Second Part Of The Dough Onto The Plums.

Remove the second part of the dough from the fridge/freezer. Now crumble the dough and cover the pitted plums with it. This forms the third layer of the cake.

Part XI – Bake For 50 Minutes.

FAQs About Making Polish Plum Cake

Can You Use Other Fruit?

If plums are not in season, you can use other fruit for this cake. It won’t be Polish plum cake obviously but another variation of it. Stoned fruit goes very well with this recipe. So try to use apricots, peaches, nectarines, mixed berries or pie cherries.

Alternatively, you can try to use frozen fruit. If you use the frozen version, make sure that you drain the fruit before using them.

How Do I Select The Right Plums?

You can’t really go wrong with plums bought in Poland. The softer the plums, the sweeter they will be.

There are a number of different varieties of plums that are available and most of the time people are not picky. The small Italian prune plums however work best with this dessert. This is because they have a slight tarty taste. Plus they hold their shape well and give the Polish plum cake its characteristic look.

How Do You Serve Polish Plum Cake?

Polish plum cake is served fresh from the oven. You will find that the cake is light. It isn’t too sweet either as most of the sugars come from the fruit itself. You will find that in Poland, this is served as a tea-time snack. It also pairs really well with coffee.

Alternatively, some people like it as a mid day treat!

What Other Recipes Use Plum?

Since Poland has really good plums during the season, there are numerous recipes that incorporate their use. Powidlo Polish plum butter recipe and no bake plum cake recipe are two recipes that should be on your list.