Pureed plums give this cake a deliciously moist texture, and generous portion of hazelnuts makes it flavourful and crumbly. If you can't buy ground hazelnuts, grind toasted hazelnuts in the food processor, or use ground almonds instead.
The recipe is taken from Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Baking.
Ingredients:
480 g red plums (approx. 6 plums)
150 g softened butter
150 g light soft brown sugar
3 eggs
175 g ground hazelnuts
175 g self-raising flour
1 sachet baking powder
toasted and chopped nuts, for sprinkling
icing sugar for dusting
Method:
Set aside 3 plums, stone the remainder, then puree in a food processor or with a hand blender.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Fold in the plum puree and ground hazelnuts.
Sift in the flour and baking powder, mix thoroughly until smooth.
Grease and line 20 x 20 cm baking tin or the one with similar dimensions. If you want it to be a flat traybake rather than a thick cake, use 27 x 19 shallow baking tin.
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
Stone and slice the remaining plums, arrange them over the surface.
Scatter the chopped nuts on top.
Bake at 180 C (160 C fan) for about 35 minutes until risen and firm in the centre (the wooden toothpick should come out clean).
Leave to cool in the tin, then transfer to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar.
Serve warm or cold, with spoonful of whipped cream or thick yogurt, then it doubles up as a simple dessert.
Bon Appetit!
