Ah! The Hungarian plum cake (often called Szilvás lepény) is a traditional, tender yeast or batter-based cake topped with plums and sometimes streusel. It’s sweet, slightly tangy from the plums, and perfect for autumn or dessert any time. 🍑🍰 (Well, plum time!)
Here’s a classic version:
Hungarian Plum Cake (Szilvás Lepény)
Ingredients
Cake/Batter:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 packet (7 g) dry yeast
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk, warm
- 1/3 cup (75 g) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
- 8–10 ripe plums, pitted and halved
- 2–3 tbsp sugar (sprinkle over plums)
- Optional: cinnamon or ground nutmeg
- Optional: streusel topping (butter + flour + sugar)
Instructions
- Prepare yeast batter
- Dissolve yeast in warm milk with a pinch of sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Mix to form a smooth, slightly sticky batter.
- Let it rise
- Cover bowl with a towel and let batter rise 30–45 minutes until doubled.
- Prepare pan
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch pan or line with parchment paper.
- Assemble cake
- Pour batter into pan and smooth top.
- Arrange plum halves, skin side down, over batter.
- Sprinkle with sugar and optional cinnamon.
- Optional: add streusel topping for extra crunch.
- Bake
- Bake 35–45 minutes until cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool & serve
- Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Optional: dust with powdered sugar.
Tips
- Plums: Firm, slightly tart plums (like Italian or European plums) work best.
- Streusel topping: Combine ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup flour; crumble over plums before baking.
- Make ahead: This cake is delicious cold the next day—plums soak into the batter and become extra juicy.
I can also give you a quick, no-yeast Hungarian plum cake recipe that’s faster and just as tender if you want it for a weeknight bake.
Do you want me to do that?
