Scrumptious and seasonal, this delightful recipe fills the kitchen with the comforting aroma of warm wintery evenings. Cut a slice of cake and pour yourself a drink, share it with friends or just savour it indulgently.
Serves 8 people
Ingredients
For the plums
- 50g butter and some little extra for your tin
- 7-8 fresh plums
- 125g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp runny honey
For the cake
- 150g unsalted butter
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 100g ground almonds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 125ml full-fat milk
Method
- Gather your cake tin and butter the inside. Then prepare the plums by cutting them into halves, removing the stones and the stalks.
- Using a small saucepan, fill with the sugar and the water. Patiently wait as the sugar dissolves over a low heat. When it has finally dissolved, bring to the boil and wait for it to turn golden and then to caramel – you will know this by the smell and colour. Take off the heat and add the butter.
- Stir only once the butter has melted completely. Pour into the tin and place the plums close together and place them cut side down, on top.
- Preheat your oven to 180C (170C fan/gas mark 4)
- For the cake, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs little by little, beating after each (add a few spoonfuls of flour if it starts to curdle). Now sift the flour and baking powder together, whilst stirring in the almonds. Mix in the vanilla, along with the dry ingredients whilst alternating with the milk.
- Pour this over the plums and allow 50 minutes to bake. Pop this into your pre-heated oven and wait for the beautiful scent of this creation to fill your kitchen.
- To check the cake is cooked thoroughly, place a skewer into the centre and this should come out clean. Now that your plum creation is baked, place a knife between the cake and the tin to remove the cake and gently place on to a cooling tray.
- Whilst waiting for the cake to cool, gently heat the honey. Brush the warmed golden glazing honey onto your cake to give it a beautiful sheen.
Put your feet up and enjoy a peaceful moment with this warming cake on a plate and treat yourself with a warm cup of tea – a perfect accompaniment to your wonderful creation.