Note: Bake in a 25cm round springform pan lined in baking paper. You can always bake in a smaller round tin but you may not be able to fit as much fruit on top and you should add at least 10 minutes to the bake time only removing the cake from the oven when a cake tester tested in the center comes out clean.

Ingredients:

180g plain flour
50g almond meal
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. fine sea salt
115g room temperature butter
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, room temperature, cracked into a small bowl
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ cup milk
5-6 plums (about 700g), in this recipe I used “plutos” and “queen garnet” plums
1 Tablespoon sugar

Method:

1.     Preheat your oven to 180C.  line your springform pan with baking paper.

2.     In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix and set aside.

3.     Place the 115g soft butter, 150g sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat on high for several minutes until the mix looks lightened in color and is airy and fluffy.  Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed so this happens evenly.

4.     With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time.  Add the next one when the first one has been incorporated.  Next, add in the vanilla and the almond extracts and mix to combine.

5.     Combine the lemon juice with the milk and set aside. 

6.     With the machine on low speed, add half the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Next, pour in the milk and lemon juice and mix to combine and finally add in the remaining dry ingredients until no dry bits are visible.  Stop the machine and pour the batter into the cake tin.

7.     Cut around the stone of the plum and cut the halves into slices or wedges.  Arrange the plums on top of the cake. They will mostly sink to the middle so don’t spend too much time on it.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top and bake for 50-60 minutes until a cake tester tested in the center of the cake comes out clean.

8.     Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the tin, slicing and serving.