Custard Plum Cake – Recipe!

I love rustic cakes, especially the ones that display summer fruit.  Stone fruit like peaches, plum, apricots and pluots bake into cakes so easily, while still holding on to their sweetness.  I enjoy the different shades of plums and I will often buy a few different varieties, so I can slice and see the wonderful reds, yellows and magenta hues from inside.  The flavors do vary along with their colors, some having a slight tangier skin, but all so very enjoyable.

If there’s one thing I really like baking at home is a simple cake, and this one starts in my food processor.  The base is whirled up quickly and pressed into the bottom of a springform pan and sliced plums are placed on top before baking.  The custard is a mix of eggs, cream and vanilla and poured over top of the plums, halfway through baking.

This cake is so tender that you can slice it with a fork and can be eaten almost anytime of the day.  The plums are swaddled in a creamy filling that doesn’t overpower them, just gives them a big hug.  Something most of us are enjoying again these days.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sliced plums, any variety

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup cold butter, diced

1 egg

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Custard

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Serves 6)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 8-inch springform pan.
2. Slice plums and sprinkle with cinnamon, set aside.
3. In a food processor, add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pulse several times to mix.  Add diced butter and pulse until coarse crumbs.  Add eggs and cream and pulse until dough just begins to come together to form a ball.
4. Dump dough out into pan and press into bottom.  Top with sliced plums and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Whisk together custard mixture and pour over top of plums.  Bake another 20 minutes and remove from oven.  Cool to room temperature and loosen with knife around edges before removing from pan.  Slice and serve.  Enjoy!