At a glance
This mug cake comes together in about 50 minutes total, with most of that time spent baking. You'll start by making a crumbly butter mixture, then transform half of it into a smooth batter with eggs and milk before topping everything with juicy plums and the reserved crumble—the result is a wonderfully moist, golden cake that's worth the wait.
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Prepare the tin
Grease a baking tin and dust it with fine or coarse flour. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
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Make the crumble
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and flour until you get a crumbly texture. Set aside one mugful of this crumble.
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Make the smooth batter
Into the remaining crumble, stir in the baking powder and vanilla sugar. Add the eggs and milk, then mix well until the batter is smooth.
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How it went
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Tips from the Yumsto kitchen
Why it works
Butter, sugar and flour are first rubbed into a crumble, and part of it becomes the batter. Flour coated in butter develops less gluten, so the cake is tender and moist. The rest of the crumble goes on top and turns golden. Plums packed tightly side by side release juice into the batter beneath.
Tips
Let the butter soften a little first; the crumble rubs together more easily. Lay the plums cut side up so the juice stays in the fruit. Test with a skewer in the middle, between the plums: it should come out dry. The 20–30 minute range in the method depends on your oven and pan size.
If something goes wrong
Done on top but raw in the middle: cover with foil and keep baking in five-minute steps until a skewer comes out dry. Fruit sank to the bottom: the batter was too thin or the fruit very juicy. Pat juicy pieces dry with a paper towel before arranging them.
Substitutions
The author suggests blackberries, apricots, apples or pears instead of plums. Put frozen fruit on the batter without thawing and expect a longer bake. All-purpose flour can replace medium-fine for a finer crumb.
Storage
Cover the cooled cake and keep it at room temperature; it stays moist for about 2 days. For longer, slice and freeze it in portions.
Common questions
Why is it called a "mug cake" if it's in grams?
The mug only measures the crumble you set aside for the topping, one ordinary mug. Everything else is weighed as listed.
What size pan should I use?
A standard round cake pan about 24 cm across suits this amount. A smaller pan gives a taller cake that bakes longer; a larger one gives a thinner cake that's done sooner.
Can I bake it on a sheet pan?
Yes, but a standard 30 × 40 cm sheet pan needs about 2.5 times the ingredients. The layer will be about as deep and bake for a similar time, but check with a skewer.
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