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Italian Plum & Almond Cake
A wonderfully tender cake that is perfect for a summer picnic or celebration. The tartness from the plums balances out the sweetness from the cake perfectly. This recipe works well with apricots, apples, pears, persimmons, or other seasonal fruit.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Serves
10–12
Baking
Potluck
Special Occasions
Vegan
Ingredients
180g/60z butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp plain yoghurt, or buttermilk
8 large semi-firm plums plums, halved, stones removed
1 tbsp amaretto, (optional)
2 tsp icing sugar, to garnish
Method
Preheat your oven to 160ºC/320ºF fanbake. Line the base of a 24cm/9in springform cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter.
Beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until pale and creamy.
Next, beat in the eggs one at a time.
Add the ground almonds, flour, and yoghurt, using a spatula to mix until evenly combined.
Pour the mixture into your prepared tin, smooth the top with the spatula, and arrange the plums halves on top, cut-side up (if you press them in, they will sink).
Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (about 1 hour 15 minutes).
Remove from the oven and, if using, brush the amaretto liqueur over the hot cake.
Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing and dusting with icing sugar to serve.
NOTES
If you’re not serving this the same day it is made, cake will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Simply bring back to room temperature before serving with the dusting of icing sugar.
If you want to take this to the next level, grind your own almonds to a fine crumb in a food processor.
