Seasonal recipe : Plum & Almond cake
British Plums for August
British trees are abundant with fruit right now, so much so that in Abbi’s parents orchard the branches are so weighed down they are nearly touching the ground.
Over the past few weeks the plums have been ripening and are ready to eat. Both sweet and tart they are delicious fresh from the tree, in cakes and desserts or made into jams or chutneys.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
• Mixing bowl
• Electric whisk or stand mixer
• Spatula or spoon
• 20cm cake tin
• Baking paper
Ingredients
• 150 grams room temperature unsalted butter
• 150 grams golden caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 150 grams spelt or plain flour
• 120 grams ground almond
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 200 grams plums – destoned
• 20 grams flaked almonds
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
HOW TO
• Preheat the oven to 160C Fan / 180C
• Grease a 20cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper
• Beat the butter and sugar with the electric whisk or stand mixer until pale and fluffy
• Add the eggs in one at a time beating slowly until incorporated
• Sift in the flour, ground almond, spices, baking powder and salt
• Using a spatula or spoon mix until combined
• Pour mixture into the cake tin and spread evenly
• Halve or slice the plums, arranging them on top of the cake pressing them into the mixture slightly, sprinkle with flaked almonds and granulated sugar
• Bake for 35 – 40 mins, until the cake is golden and when a knife or skewer is inserted into the cake comes it out clean.
• Remove from the oven, and allow to cool