Grandma Mia's plum cake in the Air Fryer
A light German sponge cake with juicy plum halves pressed into the batter and a fine dusting of icing sugar. Baked in a round springform pan in the air fryer — no crumble, just plums and buttery batter.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform pan 18 cm
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Parchment paper For the bottom of the pan
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
125 g butter Soft
125 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 pinch salt
2 pcs eggs
150 g wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
Plums and Topping
- 450 g plums Halved and pitted
1 tbsp icing sugar For dusting- 1 tsp butter For the pan
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash the 450 g plums, halve them and remove the stones. Place the halves cut-side up on a chopping board so they can drain while you make the batter.
- Grease the springform pan with 1 tsp butter, and line the bottom with a round piece of baking paper. The pan needs to stand freely in the air fryer basket with air all the way around.
- Beat 125 g butter and 125 g sugar pale and fluffy with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes. The butter should be soft, but not melted.
- Add the 2 pcs eggs one at a time, beating well between each egg. Then stir in 1 tsp vanilla sugar and 1 pinch salt.
- Sift 150 g wheat flour and 1 tsp baking powder into the batter, and fold in gently. Finally, stir in 2 tbsp milk, so the batter becomes soft and smooth.
Cooking in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C on the hot-air setting.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan, and smooth the surface with a dough scraper. The batter should fill about two-thirds of the pan, to leave room for the cake to rise.
- Arrange the plum halves closely in a circular pattern on top of the batter with the cut side up, and press them halfway down. If you press them all the way down, they will sink during baking.
- Bake the cake at 160 °C for 35 minutes. Check after 30 minutes with a toothpick in the middle — it should come out dry. If the surface gets too dark, loosely lay a piece of baking paper over it for the last 10 minutes.
Serving
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, before loosening the edge and lifting it out of the springform pan.
- Dust 1 tbsp icing sugar evenly over the cooled cake through a sieve, and serve.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
Use firm, ripe plums. Overripe plums release too much juice and make the middle of the cake soggy. Only press the plum halves halfway into the batter, so they stay sitting up on the surface during baking. No crumble:
The cake is baked completely without crumble, the way the German original is made. The light sponge cake and a light dusting of icing sugar are the only decoration, letting the tartness of the plums come through clearly. Variation:
Plums hold their shape best and are the classic choice. Apricots or pitted cherries can be used in the same amount. If the plums are very tart, you can toss them in 1 tsp sugar before placing them on the batter. Serving:
Serve the cake warm or fully cooled with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a cup of coffee on the side. Portion size:
The springform pan needs to stand freely in the basket with air around it. If your air fryer is smaller, use a 16 cm pan and extend the baking time by 5 minutes.
Use firm, ripe plums. Overripe plums release too much juice and make the middle of the cake soggy. Only press the plum halves halfway into the batter, so they stay sitting up on the surface during baking. No crumble:
The cake is baked completely without crumble, the way the German original is made. The light sponge cake and a light dusting of icing sugar are the only decoration, letting the tartness of the plums come through clearly. Variation:
Plums hold their shape best and are the classic choice. Apricots or pitted cherries can be used in the same amount. If the plums are very tart, you can toss them in 1 tsp sugar before placing them on the batter. Serving:
Serve the cake warm or fully cooled with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a cup of coffee on the side. Portion size:
The springform pan needs to stand freely in the basket with air around it. If your air fryer is smaller, use a 16 cm pan and extend the baking time by 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 585kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 7gFat: 30gSaturated fat: 18gPolyunsaturated fat: 1.5gMonounsaturated fat: 8gTrans fat: 0.8gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 270mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 2.6gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 1300IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1.3mgNet carbohydrates: 69.4g
