plum cake

English translation: sponge cake

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Italian term or phrase:	plum cake
English translation:	sponge cake
Entered by:	Fiona Grace Peterson

20:45 Apr 19, 2005

Italian to English translations [PRO]
Cooking / Culinary / recipe

Italian term or phrase: plum cake

What would be a good translation in English? Note this is the Italian version and NOT a fruit cake).
Madeira cake? Or just plain old sponge cake?

Thanks...

PS can anyone explain WHY it's called plum cake when there aren't any plums in it? That would be great...

Fiona Grace Peterson KudoZ activity Questions: 484 (2 open) (6 without valid answers) (24 closed without grading) Answers: 1094 Italy
Local time: 08:17

sponge cake

Explanation:
I agree with your sponge cake theory, but perhaps an analyis of the ingredients might be a good idea.

Selected response from:

Angela Arnone
Local time: 08:17

Grading comment

Thanks Angela! I want to go and make one now...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +2

sponge cake

Angela Arnone

plum cake

Ilaria A. Feltre

Discussion entries: 9

Elizabeth Lyons

United States

American sponge cakes have leaveners. If this were to be included in an American cookbook, it would be classified as a fruit cake, not a sponge cake and would be simply called Plum Cake. That was what I tried to convey, but not very clearly! :)

14:01 Apr 21, 2005

Elizabeth Lyons

United States

Some European sponge cakes are like American fruit cakes; they are heavy with no chemical leavening. Any "rising" comes from the moisture in the butter and cream causing expansion in the pan. American-style fruit cakes have no chemical
leaveners.

13:59 Apr 21, 2005

Non-ProZ.com

10:37 Apr 21, 2005

For Elizabeth: Have to agree with Angela - surely a sponge cake NEEDS baking powder to be light, otherwise how is it going to rise? In my experience sponge cakes always have baking powder, even if only in "hidden" form in self-raising flour.
For Silvia: excellent point about the shape, although reference isn't usually made to the shape in the title of the dessert. A HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE! :-)

Angela Arnone

For Elizabeth: I don't see Fiona mentioning baking powder: just flour/sugar/eggs, which I believe to be the ingredients for a sponge cake!

16:37 Apr 20, 2005

Elizabeth Lyons

United States

Why don't you just call it Plum Cake? Sometimes things just don't have other names. Frankly, if it uses baking powder, it is not a sponge. It is a fruit-style cake batter, which is heavy and sponge cake batters are light.

00:44 Apr 20, 2005

silvia b (X)

the Italian plum cakes I know are cakes baked in a loaf pan - I think it refers mostly to the shape rather than to the ingredients, at least in my experience

21:12 Apr 19, 2005

esoft

Canada

yes, I see where you came up with Madeira...but still a sponge cake...

21:07 Apr 19, 2005

Non-ProZ.com

recipe

21:00 Apr 19, 2005

The cake mixture itself is made from flour, sugar, eggs, rum and cream, put in the oven and baked. When it's ready, it gets garnished with chestnut cream and marron glaces...

esoft

Canada

just to be sure, can you share the recipe? my mother used to make the Italian plum cake (read "ploom ke" in Italian...) with oranges, other times indeed with plums, other times with raisins....I think it had started with the idea of a fruit cake ....

20:54 Apr 19, 2005

Answers

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

sponge cake

Explanation:
I agree with your sponge cake theory, but perhaps an analyis of the ingredients might be a good idea.

Angela Arnone
Local time: 08:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 52

Grading comment

Thanks Angela! I want to go and make one now...

17 hrs confidence:

plum cake

Explanation:
Io ho sempre sentito dire sentito plum cake...
Spero ti possa essere d'aiuto. :)

Ilaria A. Feltre
Malta
Local time: 08:17
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in category: 4

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

plum cake

English translation: sponge cake

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

plum cake

English translation: sponge cake

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language