Plum platz is a shallow, square-cut fruit cake associated with Mennonite home baking across the Canadian Prairies. Family recipes vary: some use a yeast dough, while others make a quick cake batter and add a crumb topping. This version uses raw Italian plums over a tender, milk-based batter, finished with a separate buttery streusel.
The broad pan keeps the cake relatively thin so the fruit softens as the top turns golden. Italian plums, also called prune plums, hold their shape and bring a tart edge that balances the sweet crumbs. This is one documented Prairie-style adaptation, not a single definitive formula for every community or family.
Step 1Wash and dry the plums, remove and discard every pit, then cut the fruit into wedges. Line a 23 × 33 cm pan with parchment and heat the oven to 175°C.
Step 2Whisk 125 g flour, 100 g sugar and 5 mL baking powder in a bowl. Cut in 57 g cold butter until the mixture has fine crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces.
Step 3In a second bowl, whisk 120 mL milk with 1 egg and 5 mL vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and fold just until a thick, spreadable batter forms. Do not taste the raw batter.
Step 4Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Arrange the raw plum wedges in one close layer over the surface without pressing them into the batter.
Step 5Mix 188 g flour with 300 g sugar. Stir in 113 g melted butter with a fork until coarse, uneven crumbs form; scatter them evenly over the plums.
Step 6Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the streusel is golden and the cake is set. Check the cake layer, avoiding a juicy fruit pocket; it must reach at least 74°C. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then cut into 15 squares.
Serve warm or at room temperature with coffee. For neat squares, let the cake cool for 30 minutes before cutting. Bake it a day ahead if useful; cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4°C or colder; eat within 2–3 days or freeze. Reheat leftovers to 74°C. Wash hands and equipment after handling raw egg and flour.
Rounded ingredient-based estimate per square, calculated from generic USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and a yield of 15. The batch is about 4,342 kcal before rounding. Plum size, brands and exact portions vary; this is not laboratory analysis or a product label.
Contains wheat, milk and egg. Do not taste raw batter made with flour and egg. Bake the cake layer to at least 74°C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4°C or colder.
Yes. Use firm plums and keep the pitted fruit weight at 600 g; juicier varieties may make the cake slightly softer.
