VICTORIA PLUM AND ALMOND CAKE

I love Victoria plums and can’t wait until August when they appear in the shops [or on Trees].  They make wonderful jam too. This cake is very simple for a summer dessert, served barely warm with clotted cream, or just for afternoon tea. There is no reason why you cannot make it with a different variety of plum at any time of the year, but it is just not the same……. you need a sweet variety.

Wash, stone then halve and quarter [if large] about 6 or 7 [8 if small] Victorias. Make sure they are then dry.

Cream together until pale and fluffy:

5 oz room temperature butter [NEVER marg]

4 oz caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste [essence is OK ish]

Whisk 2 eggs, then beat them in. Then adding:

5 oz SR flour 

2 oz ground almonds.

You may need up to 2 tablespoons of milk if the mixture is stiff. Add one first, then the other if needed. Mix well.

Lightly oil and line the base of a 7” cake tin [spring form is best] then tip in two thirds of the mix and roughly spread it out. Cover with the plums, keeping away from the very edge. Then the rest of the mix, in dobs over the plums. Don’t bother about being too fussy, it will more or less level itself out.

Bake in a preheated oven 165-170 deg C for about  40-45 mins, until just firm to the touch. 

Dust with icing sugar, then enjoy. Mmmmmmmmmm.