This recipe is good for two 9" cake pans.
This is from a Martha Stewart Magazine. I don't have the date--maybe 2006? There is a small #104 at the bottom of the page...
OPEN-FACED PLUM CAKE
Note at top of recipe:
"This recipe was given to Lucinda by her friend Bette Aaronson, who has been making it for more than 30 years. You can use apricots, nectarines, or peaches in place of plums".
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
3/4 cups plus 1Tbs. sugar..(I used a bit more)
1/2cup whole milk
1/4cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
9 or 10 large black plums, halved and pitted
1/4tsp. ground Cinnamon
2Tbs. cold, unsalted butter cut into small peaces plus more to butter pans. ( I used a bit more)
To do:
1.--Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Butter two 9" round cake pans
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
In a separate bowl--combine 3/4cup sugar, the milk, oil, and egg. Fold into flour mixture
2.--Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans and smooth tops. (It will be a thin layer-but will rise as it bakes). Arrange plums, cut sides up, over batter in an even pattern.
3.--Combine Cinnamon and remaining sugar (I use a bit more), and sprinkle over plums. Dot with butter. I used more than 2Tbs. of butter. That just does not go very far in two pans...I put a little piece of butter in the center of each plum-pit-hole.
Bake until tops are golden, plums are soft, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean--30-35 minutes.
Let cool. These cakes are best eaten the day you make them. Very good while warm!
Leftover cake is great the following day for breakfast.
Note:
To ensure the fruit retains its shape during baking, use plums that are almost, but not quite, ripe. They should not be rock-hard, rather soft--yet, slightly firm.
My note:
This is so easy to make and so elegant to serve--as you can slice the cake so that each slice contains a half a plum. The batter is hardly sweet--just right. I have also toyed with the idea of slicing up the plums instead of using the halves...but that would change the beautiful appearance of this cake.
I also loved it served with Cool Whip!
If you refrigerate it for the following day, there will be some moisture around the plum-halves and the cake will be slightly moister. Still good!
Gita
Here is a picture of the one I made. Looks exactly like the one in the Martha Stewart Magazine...
