Plum and cottage cheese cake

Preparation time: 25 minutes Baking time: 1 hour Number of servings: 24-26 cm cake tin Per 100 g of cake: Energy value 253 kcal Carbohydrates 35 g - Of which sugars 18 g Protein 8 g Fats 9 g Diet: vegetarian.

• wheat cake flour 320 g - 2 cups
• semi-fat cottage cheese - traditional 250 g
• 4 large eggs - 230 g after breaking
• vegetable oil, e.g. rapeseed oil 70 ml
• sugar 130 g
• vanilla sugar 40 g - large sachet
• baking powder 2 teaspoons
• fresh, firm plums 800 g - weight before removing the pits
• almond flakes 40 g

Plum and cottage cheese cake

Before you start making this cake, I recommend reading the entire recipe first to prepare for the next steps. Cake pan: I used a 24 cm springform pan, but I also recommend a larger one, with a diameter of 26 cm, so the cake bakes a bit faster than mine. You can also use another pan with similar dimensions, such as a 20 x 30 cm pan.

This recipe doesn't forgive mistakes. There are cakes where you can really mess up and still get it right. The plum and cottage cheese cake is quite demanding. I don't recommend using frozen fruit here. Add ingredients by eye. Use cold ingredients and your own invented substitutes, as it might not work. And that would be a real shame, because it's a wonderful cake. Remove the eggs and cottage cheese from the refrigerator in advance to allow them to reach room temperature.

Crack 4 large eggs or 5 small eggs (I used a total of 230 grams after beating) into a bowl, add 130 grams of caster sugar or regular sugar, and 40 grams of vanilla sugar. Beat the sugar and eggs with a mixer at high speed until the sugar is completely dissolved in the eggs. By the end of the beating, the mixture should be light and fluffy. Beating can take up to 10 minutes (up to 5 minutes with a good mixer). Slowly pour a total of 70 ml of vegetable oil, such as rapeseed, into the egg mixture and mix briefly at low speed.

Add the whole cottage cheese to the egg wash. You need 250g of traditional, preferably semi-fat cottage cheese with a firm texture. It's important that it's not greasy or creamy. I also don't use cottage cheese from a bucket. I want it to be cottage cheese that can be crumbled directly into the bowl with the egg wash.

Add the flour and baking powder mixture (320 grams of cake flour sifted with 2 level teaspoons of baking powder) to the bowl. Mix gently, but not too long, until a fluffy, uniform, and fairly thick batter forms.

About 800 grams of fresh, firm, and not too soft plums, washed, dried, and pitted. If you have large plums, cut each half in half again. Divide the pitted plums into two portions and fold one portion into the batter.

Use a springform pan with a diameter of at least 24 cm, preferably 26 cm. Line the bottom with baking paper, grease the sides with butter or margarine, and then dust the inside with breadcrumbs or a little flour. Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the surface. Top with the second half of the prepared plums (spread them evenly across the batter), and sprinkle with almond flakes.

Tip: You can omit the almond flakes or replace them with coconut flakes, chopped hazelnuts or a bit of homemade crumble.

Place the pan with the plum and cottage cheese cake in an oven preheated to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) (top/bottom heat). Select the middle rack. Bake the cake for about an hour (less or more). After about 50 minutes of baking, check if the cake is done with a wooden skewer (insert the skewer where there's no fruit). If the skewer comes out clean, you can safely turn off the oven. Don't worry about the cake not being baked through, and try not to overbake. Baking the cake too long can dry out and lose its moistness. After baking, slightly open the oven door. After 10 minutes, open the door and remove the cake from the oven. Remove the sides and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool.

Note: This cake may require a significantly longer baking time than similarly sized cakes. Don't be discouraged, just bake longer accordingly.

Tip: Place the baking pan on a preheated, thin baking tray or rack. The tray or rack should be positioned so that the baking pan is roughly centered in the oven (not too close to the upper and lower heating elements).

This plum and cottage cheese cake stays fresh for a very long time. Once cooled, I recommend wrapping it loosely in parchment paper and then placing it in a clear grocery bag or a ziplock bag. Store the cake in the refrigerator for about 1-2 days. If you plan to eat it later, store it in the same wrapping in a covered glass container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Enjoy your meal!