Plum Cake

.  .  .

After the last photo of this Plum Cake was taken and some of the precut pieces were shared with the family, the temptation to sample another little piece was definitely on my mind.  And of course, I gave in repeatedly throughout the day until only some crumbs and a piece or two were left.  This is a sweet-light cake with a slight tartness from the addition of plums.  A simple and versatile cake to pair with coffee or tea for breakfast, slice a piece for an afternoon snack, or serve it as an after dinner dessert.  Before serving the plum cake, sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar or top it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.  Simply delicious!

For the first few years after Bill and I moved into our house, these plum trees went almost unnoticed and were basically used to provide us with shade from the sun during the summer months.  The discovery of our plum trees happened when a friend came for a visit and pointed them out to us.  He was in the backyard one day with a handful of something purple.  I asked what they were and he responded, “Sweet little plums.”

I’m glad the previous owners planted these plum trees on the property.  If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have thought of doing it myself.  The plum trees have provided us with an abundance of plums every year to eat and make into delicious compote, cake, and jam.

Fresh picked plums.

.

· print recipe ·

serves 6-8

Ingredients

1     cup all purpose flour
1     teaspoon baking powder
¼   teaspoon salt
8     tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2     large eggs
10-12 small purple plums, halved

Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Cut two strips of parchment paper to line a 9-inch square baking pan, cut them long enough so that they hang over the edges.

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and set aside.

2.  In the mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy {2-3 minutes}, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4.  On low speed, add the flour mixture, mix until just combined.

5.  Spread the cake batter in prepared baking pan. and arrange the plum halves cut side down on top of the cake batter.

6.  Sprinkle plums with sugar.

7.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 25 minutes before serving.

Optional:  Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out from the pan.

Enjoy!

· print recipe ·

.

Posted by Kay