Josie
The writer, cook and photographer behind Your Ultimate Menu
Ingredients
Cake
- 150g butter, softened (5.3oz)
- ¾ cup caster sugar (150g/5.3oz)
- 1 cup plain flour (150g/5.3oz)
- 1 ¼ cups ground almonds (150g)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs (size 7)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 Tbsp plum jam
- 200 g drained, tinned Black Doris plums (reserve the syrup) (7oz)
- 40 g sliced almonds (1.4oz)
Plum Sauce
- ¾ cup syrup from tinned Black Doris plums (185ml)
- 1 Tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tsp cold water
To Serve
- Icing sugar, to dust cake
- Cream or ice cream
- Leftover Black Doris plums (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 160ºC (320ºF) fan bake. Grease a 22-23cm springform tin and line with baking paper.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar
Using an electric mixer or food processor, cream butter and sugar until pale. Add flour, almonds, baking powder, eggs and vanilla essence and beat or process until combined.
3. Add Black Doris Plums
Tip half the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth out. Dollop small portions of the jam all over. Cut Black Doris plums into quarters and remove stones. Gently press the plums on top of the cake and jam. Spread the remaining cake mixture over the top of the plums – you might find it easiest to use your hands. Don’t worry about covering the fruit completely.
4. Bake the Cake
Scatter almonds over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
5. Make the Sauce
While cake is cooking, make plum sauce. Bring the syrup, sugar and cornflour to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until thickened a little. Transfer to a small jug.
6. Serve
Serve cake warm or at room temperature. Dust with icing sugar and serve with plum sauce, cream or ice cream and leftover Black Doris plums (optional).
Recipe Notes
- Wine Match: Choose your favourite dessert wine. Tea is a good match too.
- Gluten-Free Option: This cake can be made gluten-free – it’s almost as nice! Replace the plain flour with plain gluten-free flour and ensure baking powder is gluten-free. Make sure you use maize cornflour, not wheaten cornflour.
- Ingredient Notes / Swaps: I like tinned Black Doris plums as they’re nice and sweet, and you can use the syrup to make the plum sauce. You could use fresh plums and omit the sauce. Alternatively, any berries (fresh or frozen) would work well. Use any flavour jam you like. Instead of the plum sauce, you could make a berry sauce. Use 1 cup berries, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water. Simmer until you have formed a sauce (about 15 minutes).
- Make Ahead: Cake and sauce can be made a day in advance. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
- Storing: Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, or in the fridge for 5 days. Sauce will keep for at least a week, refrigerated.
This recipe has a good amount of almonds, which are a great source of essential nutrients. Also, research shows that 26 weeks of almond consumption has a positive impact on reducing the risk of developing colon cancer.
If you would like to learn more about this study, we suggest reading Anti-cancer foods: The Healthiest Nuts (Part 2).
A bit more about the master chef behind this recipe…
Cooking, baking and creating recipes have always been Josie’s passions. She has a Bachelor of Food Technology and works as a freelance recipe developer, food stylist and photographer.
Josie launched her website, Your Ultimate Menu, as a way to help others solve the dreaded “what’s for dinner?” question. Each week she provides recipes for three easy meals together with an organised shopping list.
Her sister’s recent diagnosis with coeliac disease has inspired Josie to provide gluten-free options for all of her recipes.
Like this recipe? Check out Josie’s website for more cooking inspiration! https://www.yourultimatemenu.com/
