Pflaumen Kuchen

It's summer time, and it's hot here in the Ozarks.  Today temps are in the high 90's with high humidity.  It's a day for playing on the lake, swimming in the pool or if those aren't an option staying inside where  the A/C is running.

I've been longing for a taste of my Mom's Pflaumen Kuchen (Plum Cake).  I remember coming up from the lake after a day of swimming, walking into the cottage and my Mom having a piece of this cake ready for me to eat.  It was moist, the plums were sweet and the best part was the streusel on top.  Crunchy on the outside soft and flavorful on the inside.  It was a great ending for a day filled with swimming and sunshine.

So today, while it's hot outside, I have decided to bake inside.  I am going to make the dessert that I have been longing for, the dessert that is a part of my heritage and good memories of growing up.

I needed to find a recipe, because sadly I do not have my Mom's.  I looked at a lot of sources but ended up going back to the fail safe for today - Pinterest =)  I found two recipes that I thought best looked like the plum cake that I remember.


This one looked close, the plums look so juicy, but those almonds (which I
love) were the deciding factor against that recipe.  Mom's recipe didn't have nuts!

I decided on this  recipe.


This looks exactly like I remember it.  Unfortunately, the recipe lists flour, sugar and butter in ounces.  Not cups.  Math.  It is not my strong suit.  I found a converter online (thank God for the internet) and a baking I went.

I started by creaming the butter and sugar, adding the egg, vanilla and sour cream.

Then I incorporated the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.  It made a very thick batter.
 

I spread the batter out in the round baking dish.

I layered the plums - I wanted this to be a bit more decorative, but apparently those skills are lacking today

then the part I love best, the streusel.

In the oven it went.  The cake came out 35 minutes later looking like it was melt in my mouth delicious. 

 
Oh goodness, the taste.  It's there.  It's amazing.  It's just like I remember. 

Recipe: 

Plum Cake

1 Stick Butter                         Pinch of Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar                        3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp vanilla                         1  tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg                                     2 Cup Plums (pitted and sliced into thin wedges)
1 Tbsp Sour Cream                 

Streusel Topping:

6 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
When it gets fluffy and light add in egg, vanilla and sour cream.  Beat again until egg incorporates well with the mixture.
Now add flour and baking powder to the mixture and mix well.  The batter will be too thick to compare to other cake batters.
Take a round greased baking pan and spread the prepared batter onto the pan, arrange the plum wedges on top of the batter in a circular pattern over the batter and set aside.
To prepare the Streusel topping, blend butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon with a fork until crumbly.  Sprinkle onto plum wedges.
Place the pan in preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.  Until the streusel topping is a light golden color.
Very Yummy Pflaumen Kuchen is ready to eat when it is cooled to room temperature.

A lot has happened in a year...

One Year.
52 Weeks.
365 days.
A year.

Time has passed so very quickly.  Last year at this time, I was afraid to drive back home in the dark because of the winding roads.  Last night I whipped around the roads to get home without much thought of the dark, the turns or twists in the road.  I have changed. I've become comfortable with where I live.

Last year at this time, Lyn and I were discussing termite damage.  The work involved in getting it fixed, how best to do that work, trying to find concrete forms big enough to support the wood beams.  This year with our foundation secure we are going to get to work on staining the front of our house.  Thinking about the logistics of what is needed to happen to make the process go smoothly.  The house has changed.

Last year I had two daughters in Wisconsin, one in Illinois, and one in Missouri.  This year I have one daughter in Wisconsin, one in Arizona, one in Colorado and one in Missouri.  My heart hurts at the distance that is between us, so grateful for a car to travel in, and finding low airline rates.  Grateful that we have a daughter close to us.  Our travel plans have changed.

Last year I had 3 grandsons.  This year I have 3 grandsons, a granddaughter and a grandson on the way.  My heart has changed.  It has expanded, grown because of goodnight hugs, soft I love you's, chubby little hands and gas filled smiles that wrap themselves around my heart that is now so filled with love that sometimes I feel like it is going to burst.

Last year, we were starting Lyn's business.  A lot of praying, a lot of talking, a lot of planning, a lot of calling on agents to form relationships so that they would trust us to do a home inspection.  Lyn is on his fourth home inspection of the year and we are beginning to see our dream of giving become a reality. Our life has changed.

Change seems to come in all different ways.  It can arrive suddenly with a phone call, or so slowly that over time you wonder if it wasn't always this way. Change can be a cause for celebration, laughter and dancing!  Some change is very difficult and there is the question if the situation will ever be different, sometimes when there is pain involved to make the change happen I wonder if it is worth it. 

I am thankful that in all the change there is a constant.  God hasn't changed.  I know who I believe in and I can trust Him.  There are a lot of things I know, even more that I don't, but this one thing I am persuaded is true.  God knows.  God has it. I may not know what change is around the corner, but I know the one who does.