Recipe: Plum Cake

Plum Cake

Adopted from Martha Stewart Recipes

Yield: 9 inch cake, 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 t pure vanilla extract

2 t finely grated lemon zest

1/4 c sour cream

3 plums, halved, pitted and cut into eighths

Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-2 inch or 9-inch cake pan and line bottom with a round parchment.

In a bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 c flour, baking soda and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time until incorporated; beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Beat in 1/2 flour mixture, then sour cream. Add remaining four mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread batter into pan and smooth top with a knife. In the bowl, toss plums with 2 Tbsp flour and push gently into batter. (You want the fruit to show through the top; the flour should prevent it from sinking into the batter.)

Bake until cake is golden, about 30 minutes; loosely tent with foil and bake until cake pulls away from side of pan and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes more.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run knife around cake edge and remove cake from pan. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

Recipe: Plum Tart

Plum Tart

Recipe adapted from Amanda Hessler, Food52.com

Yield: 11 inch tart (8 servings)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 t kosher salt

3/4 c plus 1 t sugar

1/4 c vegetable or canola oil

1/4 mild olive oil

2 Tbsp whole milk

1/2 t almond extract

2 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter

20 small Italian plums (1 1/2 to 2 lbs)

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F

In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 1/2 c flour, 1/2 t salt and 1 t sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, milk and almond extract. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork, just enough to dampen. Do not overwork the dough.

Transfer the dough to an 11-inch tart pan and use your hands to pat out the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan, pushing it up the sides to meet the edge. It should be about 1/8 inch thick all around. Trim and discard the excess.

In a bowl, combine 3/4 c sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, 1/4 t salt and the butter. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly, with a mixture of fine granules and tiny pebbles.

Arrange the plums in concentric circles, cut-side-up on the pastry, leaning against each other like fallen dominos; they should fit snugly. Sprinkle the sugar-butter mixture over top (it will seem like a lot).

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles begin enveloping the fruit and the crust is slightly brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably with generous dollops of whipped cream.

Recipe: Stone Fruit Tea Cake

Stone Fruit Tea Cake

Adopted from Rustic Fruit Desserts

Yield: 10-12 servings

Tea Cake is not overly sweet and tastes great as an afternoon snack paired with tea or coffee. Neither cake nor tart, this dessert defies description: a fruit filled shortbread perhaps? This dough freezes well and can be pulled out of the freezer on short notice, anytime you have extra fruit on hand. 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, for the pan

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 t fine sea salt

1 c granulated sugar

3/4 c (6 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 eggs

1 T pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 c coursely chopped mixed stone fruit, fresh or frozen

1 T turbino sugar

Instructions

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Using a handheld mixer with beaters, or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter together on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then add the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and stir just  until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a 1 inch-thick disk and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 10 inch round baking pan or tart pan.

Divide the dough into two equal portions and pat one portion evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the fruit over the dough. Break the remainder of the dough into tablespoon-size pieces and distribute atop the fruit, then sprinkle the turbino sugar over the dessert.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes*, or until lightly golden brown and firm. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Bourbon Poached Apricots

Bourbon Poached Apricots

Poaching Liquid Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

3 lbs firm, blemish-free apricots

1 lemon

2 1/2 c sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

1 c bourbon

Instructions

Slice apricots in half, removing the pit. Toss apricots with lemon juice in a heat-restistant bowl.

Bring 4 cups water, the sugar and the vanilla bean to a boil in a large sauce pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add bourbon and stir to incorporate.

Cook poaching liquid over medium heat until reduced to a thick syrup, about 30 minutes. Pour over prepared apricots and allow to cool completely.

These apricots are lovely served over vanilla ice cream or a piece of pound cake.