Plum Season: When Late Summer Smells of Cake

Sometime in the last days of August, it happens: crates of deep purple-blue plums pile up at the farmers' market, the smell of cinnamon and warm pastry drifts through the neighbourhood, and in what feels like every second Swiss kitchen, a baking tray slides into the oven. Children stand on chairs to arrange the halved fruit in neat rows while outside the days are noticeably shorter already. Swiss plums, known here as Zwetschgen, don't have a long season — but they have an intense one. And that's exactly what makes them one of the most honest signs that autumn is near.

A season you don't want to miss

From mid-August to the end of September, Swiss plums are at their peak, with the real high point falling right now. That's short compared to apples or pears, which can sometimes be stored well into spring. Plums, on the other hand, want to be used as soon as they're ripe — eaten fresh off the tree, baked into a cake, turned into jam, or preserved in jars for winter. That urgency is part of their charm: if you don't seize the moment now, you'll wait another year.

Plum or Zwetschge? A family matter

At the market, the two often sit side by side, and many people assume they're the same fruit. Botanically, though, the Zwetschge is its own subspecies of plum: smaller, more oval, with firmer flesh that separates cleanly from the stone. That's exactly why it's the first choice for baking — it holds its shape in tidy rows on the tray instead of collapsing into mush.

Ripe or not? One look tells you

Good plums have a fine, matte-blue bloom on the skin — a sign that the fruit still carries its own natural protective layer and came fresh off the tree. They should yield gently to a light press but never feel soft. And the best test for baking: if the stone twists out cleanly, the fruit is ready for the tray.

Did you know? Every autumn in Basel, tiny figures are hand-crafted from dried plums. Known as «Zwetschgenmaa», these little men — made with matchsticks, wire and walnut shells — date back to the 19th century and are still sold today at Basel's autumn fair.

The classic: plum cake

No other bake is as closely tied to this time of year. Shortcrust or puff pastry, halved plums arranged in tidy rows, a little cinnamon and sugar on top — and you have a cake that tastes slightly different in almost every family, because almost every family makes it slightly differently. Some swear by an egg-and-cream glaze, others by crumble topping, and some leave it entirely plain so the fruit can speak for itself.

More than just cake

If you end up with more plums than one weekend of baking can handle, you have options: jam with a splash of lemon, a spiced chutney to serve with cheese and grilled food, or the classic route of drying them into sweet winter snacks. In many Swiss regions, distilling plum brandy is also part of a long tradition around stone fruit — a craft passed down in some families for generations.

Now's the time

Whether it's a weekend project with the whole family or a quick tray for Sunday coffee, plum season is an invitation to turn on the oven while it lasts. And a well-baked tray deserves its moment — on the coffee table, at the office, or as a little gift for the neighbours.

Are you baking or preserving this weekend?

Take a look through our range — from quirky kitchen helpers to little gift ideas for baking fans, there's plenty to discover.