It’s late summer and plum season. Queen Garnets, Bloods, Amber Jewels, Santa Rosas and Tegan Blues to mention just a few. Lovely names all and lovely to eat as well.
So now is the time to cook a bowlful and have them on hand for breakfast or dessert. Simply slice them into halves or chunks, add some sugar to taste, a touch of vanilla extract and simmer over very low heat until they are soft.
This week we have teamed a basic butter cake with some deep red Queen Garnets to create a delicious, gluten-free, treat for afternoon tea. Or serve it warm with mascarpone cream swirled with some poached plum syrup and you’ll have a simple and satisfying dessert.
Caren
CARDAMOM PLUM CAKE
Serves 10
175 gm unsalted butter, cubed and softened
150 gm caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
275 gm Revenge Gluten-Free Almond Plain Flour Mix
2 teaspoons Gluten-Free baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3 tablespoons milk
4 red plums, cut into sixths, seeds removed, yielding about 300gm
Pre-heat oven to 175°C.
Grease a 20-22cm spring form cake tin and line it with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar until pale.
Add egg yolks one at a time and beat until well combined. Add the vanilla.
Combine the flour mix, baking powder and cardamom and stir well to combine. Then stir it through the butter mix, gradually adding the milk as the batter thickens.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir a large spoonful of egg whites into the cake mix and then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
Spoon the mix into the cake tin and smooth the surface.
Push the plum pieces half way into the cake. (As the batter rises it will envelop them.)
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a testing skewer comes out cleanly.
Cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.