In one word, it is the perfect summer cake. It comes together unbelievably quickly. If someone called to say they would be over in a bit for dinner, just as you were coming in from a day out, you could put it together in no time flat, bake it while you get showered and dressed and it can be on the table before the guests arrive.
It will also be gone almost as quickly. Grab your slice quickly or you might not even get a slice. Don’t say I did not warn you! By the way, it would also work with several other kinds of fruit, including apricots, peaches, nectarines or even cherries.
One of my neighbours, Carole, brought me a huge basket filled with miniature plums. They are a kind of wild plum, about the size of a cherry and vary in colour from red to deep purple. They are sweet yet the skin is a bit tart, my favourite taste combination. What was I going to make with about 5 kg of mini plums? Jam, yes; clafoutis, yes; and maybe a cake. Carole had mentioned a delicious recipe from Alsace with cinnamon where the cake rises up around the fruit leaving it riddled with deep pockets of jammy plum puddles that impart a sweet-sour complexity to an otherwise simple butter cake base. How could I not make this amazing sounding cake? Here is the recipe for you to try and please do try this one. It is so incredibly easy and delicious and even tastes better the next day – should you manage to squirrel away a slice.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
125 g / 1 cup flour
5 g / 1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
200 g / 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons (for dusting)
115 g / 1/2 cup sweet butter
2 eggs
Plums, about 400 g of mini plums or 12 regular purple plums, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
Lightly grease a 23 cm / 9″ springform cake pan
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
In another bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy
Add the eggs
Add the dry ingredients, mix well
Spoon batter into the 23 cm / 9″ springform pan and smooth the top
Arrange the plums, skin side up, on the batter, covering it completely
Sprinkle with the lemon juice
Dust the top with the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon
Bake for 45 minutes
Cool on rack then remove the springform pan
Serve with lots of whipped cream
Enjoy!
Will keep 2 days, covered at room temperature
cookingwithshy said:
So good this looks!!!
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Nadia said:
Thank you. And it is even better the next day – if you have any left over.
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StefanGourmet said:
Love this cake! I’ve made it with various types of fruit including strawberries and cherries. I use less sugar, but perhaps it’s to make up for the tartness of those plums?
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Nadia said:
Definately, these little plums are very tart indeed..
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AverageSouthAfrican said:
Yum on all levels and I love plums
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Nadia said:
It is very tasty and not too sweet at all, very juicy too.
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Eva said:
Yummy! I love fruit cakes!
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Nadia said:
I do hope you make this one, it is delicious!
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Eva said:
I’m afraid I missed plum season, but I have plenty of blueberries here at the moment, I might think of trying a variation with what nature has in store in my little piece of this planet š
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Ahila said:
Looks delicious. #FiestaFriday
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Nadia said:
Thank you.
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Gerlinde said:
I love this kind of cake, it looks delicious and your right, it wouldn’t last in my house either. What did you do with the rest of those gorgeous looking plums. My choice would have been plum jam.
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Nadia said:
That is exactly what I used them for.
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Laura @ Feast Wisely said:
This looks scrumptious Nadia – check out the Fiesta Friday guidelines to see how simple it is to make your post eligible for the week’s features selection!
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Nadia said:
Thanks, I will definitely look at that.
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Julie said:
Now that looks so good xxx
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Nadia said:
Thank you very muchš
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petra08 said:
What a lovely gift and what a gorgeous cake! I am not sure if there are any wild plums around but greengages might work. Happy FF and have a great week š
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Nadia said:
Merci. It can even work with beautifully with apricots or nectarines.
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Julie is Hostess At Heart said:
I just love plums and this is a beautiful cake!
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Nadia said:
Merci.
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Kiki said:
Yummy!
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Nadia said:
Merci. I am actually making another one today with apricots.
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