Almond plum cake

Let me tell you this is one of the best plum cakes ever.

Plums get all the credit for making the best looking rustic cakes ever, don’t they?

End of the summer stone fruit always makes me rush into the kitchen for those last recipes with peaches and plums. Apricots too, but I always seem to miss them. Or they are really dull tasting, lacking in acidity and flavor, like last summer.

But plums, especially red ones, are either great on their own or perfect for lifting up a pie or cake, a great example being this almond plum cake, dense, moist, full of honey flavor, with a touch of tanginess from the plums and texture from the almonds. I know perfect is a bit too much, but really, it tastes amazing, keeps well and is so pretty!.

I made a small round cake, 8-inch (or a bit less even). I think it makes the cutest cake. But you can make it in a square pan since this is the ultimate picnic/potluck summer cake. The one you take over to your friend’s house for a barbecue, or the one you share with friends at the beach. Square is always easier to cut, and eat.

The shape is irrelevant really, though. You’ll love this almond plum cake for its versatility (I’m thinking peaches, nectarines, apricots, even raspberries), and no white sugar is always a plus these days. A little tiny bit of healthier baking. Tiny, but still.

And finally the honey. I use a lemon or eucalyptus one I love. It does shine through, the honey flavor, so use a relatively good one.

And enjoy stone fruit. The season is almost over.

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Almond plum cake

Use a square 8-inch pan if you wish. 

As for the fruit, nectarines, apricots and peaches work wonderful too.

I can't seem to find the book where I adapted this cake from. I will add credit as soon as I do.

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 Tbs butter
• 2/3 cup muscovado or dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbs runny honey
• 1 egg room tº
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup 95g ground almonds, or almond meal
• 3/4 cup 70g super fine whole wheat flour
• 3-4 red plums stoned and each half in fourths
• Powdered sugar to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
2. Line or butter an 8-inch round or square cake pan.
3. Melt butter in a large bowl.
4. Add sugar and honey. Mix well with a hand beater.
5. Add egg, extracts salt and baking powder. Mix well until creamy.
6. Add flours in 2 or 3 parts, mixing well, but not too much.
7. Pour into the mold and arrange plum pieces on top.
8. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a tester comes almost dry (this is a very moist cake so it will not be completely dry).
9. Let cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top (not too much) and serve.