September always brings back memories of going back to school.
New notebooks waiting to be filled, pencils ready to sharpen, and the absolute anticipation of choosing them at the little local shop. With so little pocket money, every choice had to be considered carefully. Then there were the schoolbags waiting by the door, and breakfast together in the soft morning light before heading out for the day.
For us, as for so many Italian children, breakfast often meant plumcake.
The funny thing is, there isn’t a plum in sight.
In Italy, plumcake usually means a soft, tender yoghurt loaf, often scented with lemon or vanilla and baked in a rectangular loaf tin. The name is thought to have come from English cake terminology, although exactly how it travelled to Italy and came to describe this particular cake remains one of those little food mysteries we are happy to leave unresolved.
What we do know is what plumcake smells like to us: yoghurt, vanilla and a little lemon. It is the softest kind of sweetness, familiar and comforting, and one bite takes us straight back to the kitchens we grew up in.
When we were children, one of the most familiar versions was the little individual plumcake made by Mulino Bianco. They seemed to be everywhere, tucked into kitchen cupboards and school bags, and for many Italian children they were simply part of growing up.
Our mums, however, were never particularly keen on buying ready-made cakes and snacks. So, they made their own. And Agnes’ mum had an especially good reason for making hers. She has always made her own natural yoghurt, and whenever there was more in the fridge than the family could eat, some would find its way into the cake batter.
A few eggs, some sugar, flour and yoghurt, together with a handful of other simple ingredients, became a soft loaf ready to slice for breakfast over the following days.
Nothing fancy. Nothing elaborate.
Just the kind of everyday cooking we grew up with: making use of what was already at home, wasting very little, and turning simple ingredients into something comforting.
And because there was usually still some homemade yoghurt left, Agnes would eat it alongside the cake, dipping pieces of plumcake into the natural yoghurt. Looking back, that feels very much like the kind of everyday breakfast we grew up with: simple, homemade and made from what was already there.
Our version begins with that memory.
We have kept the tender yoghurt crumb and the gentle flavours of lemon and vanilla, but added a delicate splash of rose water. It is only a small change, but it gives the cake a soft floral fragrance that feels just right for September, when summer is still lingering but our thoughts begin to turn towards the season ahead.
The rose also brought us back to Venice, and to San Lazzaro degli Armeni, the small Armenian island in the Venetian lagoon. Each year, the monks gather fresh rose petals and preserve them in sugar, making their beautiful rose petal jam and capturing the fleeting fragrance of the flowers for the colder months ahead.
In our cake, there is just enough rose flavour to give you a hint of a summer garden, without taking away from the simple character of an Italian plumcake.
And, naturally, we serve ours with softly whipped yoghurt cream, bringing even more yoghurt back to the table, just as Agnes remembers eating it as a child. It becomes something that looks a little more grown up, while still tasting very much like the cake we remember.
A cake that takes us back to school mornings, soft light through the window, and the simple breakfasts that somehow stay with us long after childhood has passed.
Notes from our Venetian kitchen
The yoghurt
This recipe was born from having too much homemade yoghurt, so it is particularly lovely if you make your own. The yoghurt keeps the cake soft and tender, while also giving it that gentle flavour we remember from the cakes our mums made. If you have more yoghurt left after making the cake, you can serve it alongside, just as we used to. Even better, we recommend serving it with our softly whipped yoghurt cream. It brings even more yoghurt to the table, but in a lighter, creamier form that makes this simple cake feel a little more special.
The rose water
Rose water should be a whisper rather than the main flavour. We use just enough to make the cake gently fragrant, while keeping the lemon and vanilla very much present. If you prefer a more traditional vanilla and lemon plumcake, simply leave the rose water out. See the vanilla version note below for how to adjust the vanilla.
For the classic ‘cupoletta’
The characteristic domed top with a central crack is part of what makes an Italian plumcake look like a plumcake. Running a wet knife or spatula down the centre of the batter before baking helps encourage that familiar shape.
Room temperature ingredients
Do not skip this little detail. Room temperature eggs, yoghurt and milk combine more easily with the other ingredients and help give the cake its light, tender texture.
On storing the cake
The cake keeps well for 3 to 4 days, wrapped and stored at room temperature. We actually think it is even better on the second day, when the lemon and rose have had time to settle into the crumb.
Make individual plumcakes
The same batter can also be baked in individual cardboard or paper plumcake moulds, just like the little cakes we remember from childhood. They should take around 20 to 22 minutes to bake, but start checking them with a skewer towards the end of the baking time.As always, every oven is different, so use the baking time as a guide and keep an eye on them the first time you make them.
A vanilla version
For the recipe as written, if not using vanilla pods, you can replace them with 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, as it's stronger.
If you would rather leave out the rose water, you can easily make this as a simple yoghurt and vanilla loaf cake.
To do that, you can use 2 vanilla pods for a more pronounced vanilla flavour, or increase the amount of vanilla essence to 3 teaspoons, in order not to add too much liquid to the mix. If using vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons should be enough to boost the vanilla flavour.
We never came across vanilla extract in Italian kitchens when we were growing up, so vanilla essence is what our mums would have used. Vanilla pods were an expensive ingredient when they were raising us, making vanilla essence the more everyday choice.
The potato vs corn starch swap
Potato starch is commonly used in Italian baking and is one of the little details that helps give this plumcake its particularly soft, delicate crumb. If you cannot find it, you can replace the 30g potato starch with 30g corn starch. The cake will still be lovely and tender, although we find that potato starch gives it a slightly softer, more delicate texture.
Ingredients
Serves 8-10 (using a 25cm loaf tin)
For the cake
- 3 large eggs (about 170g total without shells), at room temperature
- 160g caster sugar
- 150g natural yoghurt, at room temperature
- 75ml sunflower oil
- 40ml whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 tsp rose water
- 1 vanilla pod (or 2 tsp vanilla essence, see notes)
- 200g plain flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 30g potato starch (or 30g corn starch, see notes)
- 2 tsp baking powder (about 8g)
- A pinch of fine salt
For the glaze
- 1 tbsp water
- 15g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the yoghurt whipped cream
- 200ml whipping or double cream, cold
- 80g natural yoghurt
- 2 tsp honey
To finish
- Dried rose petals or edible flowers, optional
Directions
1. Prepare your ingredients and the tin
Preheat the oven to 170°C static.
Line a 25cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Make sure the eggs, yoghurt and milk are at room temperature before you begin. This helps the ingredients combine properly and contributes to the cake’s soft, light texture.
2. Whip the eggs and sugar
Add the eggs and caster sugar to a large bowl and beat with electric whisks on high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and fluffy.
Do not rush this step. It forms the foundation of the cake’s light texture.
3. Add the wet ingredients
Reduce the mixer to low speed and gradually add the yoghurt, sunflower oil, whole milk, lemon zest and rose water, adding them one at a time and mixing briefly after each addition.
Add the vanilla essence, if using. If using a vanilla pod instead, scrape the seeds into the batter.
Stop as soon as everything is combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, potato starch, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on the lowest speed, or fold them in by hand, until just incorporated.
Do not overmix. Stop as soon as you can no longer see white flour powder.
5. Create the ‘cupoletta’ and bake
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin.
For the classic cupoletta, the characteristic domed top with a central crack, run a wet knife or spatula lengthways through the centre of the batter.
Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes.
Test with a skewer inserted into the centre. It should come out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and glaze
When the loaf is almost ready, make the glaze. Gently warm the water, caster sugar and lemon juice together until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.
When baked, remove from the cake from the oven but leave the it in the tin for 10 minutes. Brush the glaze lightly over the slightly cooled cake to give it a delicate shine.
Take the cake out of the mould and transfer it to a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing. This is important because the crumb continues to set as the cake cools, retaining its moisture.
7. Make the yoghurt whipped cream
While the cake cools, whip the cold whipping or double cream and honey together until soft peaks form.
Add the yoghurt and gently fold it through with a spatula until just combined. This gives the cream a smoother, glossier texture.
If you are short on time, you can add the yoghurt to the cream and honey from the beginning and whip everything together. We have found, however, that folding the yoghurt in at the end gives a softer, smoother and more glossy finish.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
8. Slice and serve
Slice the loaf cake and serve with a spoonful of yoghurt whipped cream alongside it. We also love to add a dollop of jam on the side.
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