Soviet Fruit Cake

Since the return of cooler weather again permits the use of ovens, let’s talk about cakes.

This recipe is from my mother’s recipe notebook, which is mostly filled with her precise handwriting, very short instructions, and lists of ingredients. Really. Apparently it should be patently clear to anyone reading such cursory notes how the mixing process should go down.

This recipe, however, is scribbled in the notebook in my own studious, eight-year-old handwriting. And the instructions are very detailed, as I copied them from some magazine – probably a copy of Rabotnitsa or Krestyanka, as there wasn’t anything else back in 1985. The arrival of the German fashion/homemaking magazine Burda Moden (and its Russian-language edition) was still two years off.

The original recipe for this cake called for a special variety of a garden plum, in Russian it is called vengerka (Hungarian). It easily splits in half, so you can remove the stone, and the variety is not very juicy, so the dough will not get soggy. The plums are in season for a rather short time each year, so this cake was at best a once-a-year or twice-a-year affair, which was rather unfortunate, because it was very good.

Only much later, after I had become an accomplished baker and copied the recipe from the notebook during a visit home, did I realize that perhaps my mother did not make the cake very often because the recipe was rather painstaking (definitely not a one-bowl affair). And I admit that, now that I know how to make it, I don’t make it often enough, usually opting for something quicker. But if you do take the time to make it, you will definitely appreciate all of its charms.

Recipe notes: In addition to plums, the recipe can be made with apricots, but because the latter are sweet, and so is the sour cream/egg cream topping, you might find this combination a little much. I’ve also made it with berries (strawberries, raspberries, and black currants) and it was great. Cranberries and cowberries also worked well, their sour taste pairing exceptionally well with the cream on top. Kiwi? I don’t know, but it might be worth exploring, once you’ve done it once or twice with other fillings.

The recommended size baking tray/dish will give you a nice, thin layer of dough, lots of fruit, surrounded by a delicate cream. Alternatively, you may use an 8x8 pan, but you will have a thicker layer of dough and cream, and you may need to allow more time in the oven. No matter the size, however, it’s a tasty dessert in which to enjoy the “fruits” of a fall harvest.

Plum Cake

Dough

300 g (2 ½ cups) of flour
30 g (about 1/3 cup) confectioner’s sugar
50 g (about 2 ounces) sour cream
2 egg yolks
200 g (1 ¾ cups) softened butter

Mix together the butter, flour, and sugar to form crumbs, then add the sour cream and egg yolks. Mix thoroughly. You may have to add a bit more flour at the end to make sure that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to cool while you make the creams.

Cream #1

3 egg yolks
40 g (slightly less than ½ cup) confectioner’s sugar
50 g (slightly less than ½ cup) flour
150 g (5 oz) sour cream

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, so that there are no lumps.

Cream #2

5 egg whites
40 g confectioner’s sugar.

Beat with a mixer. It won’t create stiff peaks, because the sugar content is too low for the amount of egg whites, but it should look foamy. When done, mix both creams together with a mixer, blending well.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and spread it in a uniform layer on the bottom of a 10x12-inch baking dish.

Place the fruit on top of the dough – if you are using plums or apricots (or de-stoned cherries, for that matter), place them cut side down. But first dust whatever fruit/berries you are using with some breadcrumbs and confectioner’s sugar.

Pour the cream gently over the fruit, so as not to disturb it unduly.

Bake 30-40 minutes at 350°, until the top is set and browned.

The recommended size baking tray/dish will give you a nice, thin layer of dough, lots of fruit, surrounded by a delicate cream. Alternatively, you may use an 8x8 pan, but you will have a thicker layer of dough and cream, and you may need to allow more time in the oven. No matter the size, however, it’s a tasty dessert in which to enjoy the “fruits” of a fall harvest.