I’ve been making a version of this cake all my life.

This revised plumb cake that makes 3-8 inch rounds. 

Cake

240g flour

300g sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

226g butter, very soft

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 pounds Italian pruning plums

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

Topping

226g butter

300g sugar

240g flour

¼ teaspoon salt

In a bowl of stand mixer combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix until just combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix until it just comes together. 

In well sprayed tart pans, or a half sheet pan, lined with a parchment saddle, press the dough in an even layer along the bottom. With the tart pans, go up the sides. Sprinkle with panko. 

Pit the plums and cut into 8 long thin sections (not a dice) and arrange on the panko dusted crust decoratively sanding up, with the tips of the piece standing tall on the dough. 

For the topping In the same bowl cut the butter into the sugar, flour and salt. Make a crumbly mix. Top the plums with topping and bake for 50 -60 minutes. 

Cool completely before removing from the pans.