Everyday life in Spain 3 - Plum Cake
by Ben Curtis
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?
Posted: December 13th, 2007 under Everday life in Spain, Living in Spain.
Comments: 15
Comments
Comment from Ben
Time: December 13, 2007, 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.
Comment from jules
Time: December 13, 2007, 9:22 pm
You’ll be forgiven if your next post shows you doing something zany in public.
Comment from Pepino (Dave Hall)
Time: December 13, 2007, 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! 
Comment from Charles C Stirk Jr
Time: December 13, 2007, 10:20 pm
Ben the sweet tooth’s must have left for the new world ..
Comment from Marina
Time: December 13, 2007, 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.
Comment from Ben
Time: December 13, 2007, 11:25 pm
Mi barrio es mi mundo.
Comment from Stuart
Time: December 14, 2007, 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.
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: December 14, 2007, 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.
Comment from Jonk : Bargains
Time: December 14, 2007, 7:57 am
Look forward to trying some when I get there eventually
Comment from Lord
Time: December 14, 2007, 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.
Comment from Ben
Time: December 14, 2007, 10:18 am
Lord, yes I have often tried the Sobaos and love them!
Comment from vivi
Time: December 15, 2007, 1:12 am
And have you tried th “Quesada” or the “Sobao” omg so delicious!
Comment from richardksa
Time: December 15, 2007, 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!
Comment from Albert
Time: June 24, 2008, 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 www.oriolbalaguer.com or 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.
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