A Plum Good Cake

I baked it before a couple summers ago.  So when I was asked to cater lunch for our team meeting last week I thought of this cake, how my friend and I were both delighted by its flavor.


The recipe I adapted from Martha Stewart is easy, the thing is to find the right plums.  Ones that are not to firm nor too soft, which could result in a bitter tasting cake or a very mushy one.


Open-Face Plum Cake
*Original recipe says this makes two cakes, using a 9-inch round cake pan.  However, I use a 13-inch round pan instead, and it makes for one cake.


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
9 or 10 large plums, halved and pitted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter cake pan.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, milk, oil, and egg.  Fold flour into mixture.


Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top.  Arrange plums, cut sides up, over batter.


Combine cinnamon, cardamom and remaining sugar and sprinkle over plums.  Dot with butter.  Bake until tops are dark golden, plums are soft, and a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.  Let cool.  

Delightful.  I had forgotten how plum good they were.