Here’s a traditional and delicious Hungarian Plum Cake (Szilvás Pite)—soft, buttery, and packed with juicy plums and cinnamon flavor.
🍑🍰 Hungarian Plum Cake (Szilvás Pite)
Ingredients
🥣 Cake batter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional but traditional)
🍑 Topping
- 8–12 fresh plums (halved and pitted)
- 2–3 tbsp sugar (for plums)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp flour (optional, helps absorb juice)
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Preheat oven
- Set to 180°C (350°F)
- Grease and line a baking pan (around 9×9 inch or similar)
2. Make the batter
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add eggs one at a time
- Mix in vanilla and lemon zest
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt
- Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with milk
- Stir until smooth (don’t overmix)
3. Assemble cake
- Pour batter into pan
- Arrange plum halves on top (skin side down or up—both work)
- Sprinkle plums with sugar and cinnamon
- Light dusting of flour helps prevent soggy top
4. Bake
- Bake for 40–50 minutes
- Cake is done when golden and a toothpick comes out clean
5. Cool & serve
- Let cool slightly before slicing
- Best served warm or at room temperature
🍽️ Serving ideas
- With whipped cream
- With vanilla ice cream
- Light dusting of powdered sugar
💡 Tips for best results
- Use ripe but firm plums for best texture
- Don’t overload fruit or cake may become too wet
- A touch of lemon zest makes it more authentic and fresh
🧠 Bottom line
Szilvás Pite is a simple rustic cake where buttery sponge meets tart, juicy plums—comfort baking at its best.
If you want, I can also give you a low-sugar version, a whole wheat healthy version, or a quick mug-cake adaptation.
