Hmmmm…. no deep philosophising about Spanish culture today I’m afraid, just a shout out for a great, and bizarrely named, Spanish cake. Now the Spanish aren’t all that hot when it comes to pastries – this is not France. A Spanish croissant, for example, looks just like the French version, but it’s a poor, dry, and slightly less interesting cousin (which is possibly what the French think about Spain), and the rest of the offerings on display in the bakeries of Madrid have never exactly moved me…
Until that is, I discovered Plum Cake. The only trouble is that for at least a year I felt far too ridiculous saying it to actually buy any. You see not only does Plum Cake have nothing to do with plums – it’s just a rich, moist, melt-on-the-tounge sponge cake with almond chips on top – but it isn’t pronounced anything like our word ‘Plum’ either. Think of the ‘oo’ sound in ‘boom’, and stick a pl- on one end and an -m on the other. ‘Ploom’. That’s it. Now add ‘cake’, just the way we say it in this case, walk into a bakery, order, take home, and hmmmm… heaven.
The one I just picked up is the size of a small loaf of bread, how the hell can I stop myself finishing it before Marina gets home?
Ben
13 Dec 07 at 8:58 pm
Oh God, I can’t believe I’m eulogising about cake… been a long day. I really needed that cake… maybe I should try a beer next time and rant on about that instead… must be getting old or something… even commenting first on my own posts, this is bad. Bad.
jules
13 Dec 07 at 9:22 pm
You’ll be forgiven if your next post shows you doing something zany in public.
Ben
13 Dec 07 at 9:54 pm
Will this do? My Saturday job
Pepino (Dave Hall)
13 Dec 07 at 10:10 pm
Oye Ben, ten cuidado, eh!! One thing the Spanish around my area have mastered is how to inject a load of chocolate sauce into a boring old croissant and really bring it to life! jeje. In fact, the cake shop on my corner does what I believe are the greatest croissants on the face of the planet!
Charles C Stirk Jr
13 Dec 07 at 10:20 pm
Ben the sweet tooth’s must have left for the new world ..
http://perufood.blogspot.com/2007/02/peruvian-desserts.html
Marina
13 Dec 07 at 11:24 pm
I can’t believe how English you are sometimes…
Usually plum cakes do contain dried fruits, plums and other types chopped up in cubes. However the one sold in our local bakery (see pic) has no fruits at all, but is really delicious.
Ben
13 Dec 07 at 11:25 pm
Mi barrio es mi mundo.
Stuart
14 Dec 07 at 3:13 am
It wouldn’t surprise me if Peru had one of the highest sugar intakes in the world. Peru is one of two countries in the world where Coca Cola had to change their recipe. They’ve added much more sugar.
ValenciaSon
14 Dec 07 at 5:15 am
I think brazo de gitano, pastel de boniato, ensaimada and others score good points for Spain in the respectable pastry category as well.
Jonk : Bargains
14 Dec 07 at 7:57 am
Look forward to trying some when I get there eventually
Lord
14 Dec 07 at 9:30 am
Hi Ben. I’m spanish, but I agree with you in the comment about Madrid croissants. But you’re a little unfair, coz croissants is not a local speciality, so it’s normal that the french ones are better. But madrid/spanish pastry is awesome, delicious, and much more “popular” than the “jet-set” french one
Hace you tried churros in Madrid ? Ensaimada in Mallorca ? Sobaos pasiegos in Santander ? Madalenas in Castilla ? Gató in Ibiza ? Flaons in Catalonia, buñuelos in Valencia…? etc. etc. This country is a pastry universe, take your time and taste them all..you won’t regret.
Ben
14 Dec 07 at 10:18 am
Lord, yes I have often tried the Sobaos and love them!
vivi
15 Dec 07 at 1:12 am
And have you tried th “Quesada” or the “Sobao” omg so delicious!
richardksa
15 Dec 07 at 2:43 am
I used to live in the centre of Madrid. The croisants at the corner cafe where I used to have breakfast were great! Where I live now, my local cafe sells really dry, clag in the mouth croisants. So it must be the diffences in bakeries.
I really miss a decent meat pie, but then, there are so many wonderful new things to try!
Albert
24 Jun 08 at 7:27 pm
I see no bad intention here, but you shoud make clear you talk anecdotes mainly and try to use madrileño instead of Spanish. Pastry in most of Spain is way too sweet.
I guess it is of Arabic influence, who have this passion for ultra-sweet pastries(same as Americans by the way). Nothing to do with what you can find in Barcelona. Crispy croissants (which is not a French invention), fantastically balanced cakes and a few world renowned chocolatiers.
Try something by http://www.oriolbalaguer.com or http://www.enricrovira.com and afterwards you will think that Godiva is just an upscale line of m&m’s.
Last but not least, plum cake does contain plums. Whatever it is you bought, no.
cheers,
Albert from Barcelona.
jomi
19 Sep 09 at 9:23 pm
Wow Im hearing some good things here. Im actually in culinary school right now for baking and pastry and have to do a 3 month externship in february 2010. I became fascinated with Spain and would like some help on some names of bakeries in Spain and city. Thank you.