Let’s face it, you really want some of this, don’t you? This is as good as it looks and so simple to make, too.
Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know I don’t do a lot of desserts. First, they really aren’t on our diet with way too many carbs and calories. Second, we generally prefer salty to sweet, although I do have an incredible sweet tooth (especially for candies). Third, and probably most relevant, I’m not a baker although I do bake simple things like this dessert and it is absolutely delicious. Also, because I’m not a baker, you can bet the recipes I follow for baked goods are not my own. Either a friend of mine gave me the recipe, it’s something I learned a long time ago, Baby Lady made the dish, or we found it in a cookbook, on a cooking show, on a blog or the internet. This recipe comes from Jacque Pepin, Essential Pepin, Episode 124. I forget when I saw this episode but this cake looked soooo good and was so remarkably easy to make. Just my type of baking. It had been on the back burner for a while or until last week. You see, when I was at the local market last week, I noticed some beautiful, ripe black plums. Tis the season for plums right now and other fresh fruits and veggies. I really do love the bounty the summer brings. Remembering this episode of Essential Pepin, I bought the plums with the specific intent to make this dessert. I’m sure glad we made it. It is remarkably simple to make. In fact, the most difficult part of the recipe is pitting the plums. If you’re like me and want easy baked desserts, then this recipe is just what you’re linking for. This is what we did.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unblanched almonds
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 5 ripe black plums, pitted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup plum jam
- 1 Tbsp Calvados
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
In a food processor, add the flour
the sugar
the baking powder
and the almonds
Process the flour, almonds, sugar, and baking powder until the mixture is a coarse powder.
Now, add the eggs,
oil,
vanilla,
and butter.
Process for a few seconds, just until incorporated.
Add the milk
Process one final time until the mixture is smooth and pour into the buttered cake pan.
Dunk the whole plums in cold water.
While they are still wet, roll them in the sugar.
Arrange the plums on top of the cake, spacing them evenly, and push them down into the batter until the bottom half of each is immersed.
Place the cake into the oven
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until puffy and nicely browned on top. When done, remove cake from oven and cool on a rack to lukewarm.
While the cake is cooling, add the plum jam to a mixing bowl.
Now, add the brandy and mix together
When the cake has cooled, remove the cake from the spring form pan and brush the lukewarm cake with the mixture.
Cut the cake into 6 to 8 wedges, so that each serving contains at least half a plum.
Serve warm or just at room temperature.
Enjoy!
REMCooks 
I’m not much of a baker or dessert eater either for many of the same reasons, but this looks like something even I could swing. Except I don’t own a cake pan! I do have a bundt pan though, I’m sure that would work just as well.
I’m not certain a bundt pan or a normal cake pan would work. I’m afraid a spring form pan is a must on this recipe. The plums need to be on a flat surface when baking because the cake rises up around it. Also, you cannot “turn” the cake out of a bundt pan or the plums will literally fall out.
Oh dear, well then this recipe is out for me until I end up owning one. Nice to look at though!
I bought my set of 3 at an estate sale for $2. 🙂 If you have never gone estate sale shopping, you should. It’s amazing what you can find.
Yes I go to estate and yard sales all the time! I also scope out the thrift shops.
Gee, I just bought a bunch of plums from the farmer’s market. I was thinking a plum sauce for duck but now…. 🙂
Hmmmm…Virginia, that’s a tough choice. I love duck and plum sauce is wonderful with duck. I guess I need to go buy a duck. 🙂
Richard, that looks fantastic. As I type, I have a banana bread in the oven (a complete novelty for me to bake too!). I am hungry and envious.
Best,
Conor
Baby Lady made her famous banana bread on Sunday. 🙂 It’s hard to beat a good banana bread.
It turned out excellent. Will have a slice with breakfast.
That truly does look like a damn fine cake.
Thanks. 🙂
This is so different! I’m excited to make it!
Thanks, Mimi. This is so wonderfully easy to make with different flavors and textures. It’s sweet but not overly sweet. We really liked it. 🙂
That looks beautifully rich. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but this looks superb.
Hi, Phil. Thanks for the nice compliment. This isn’t overly sweet. The almond cake is somewhat dense, has nice flavor and texture. The baked plums are sweet with that nice plum tartness. The glaze with the calvados adds another flavor dimension. Overall, this was a pretty awesome dessert, was so simple and makes a great presentation.
Even better! I must admit I did like the sound of that glaze, I bet if finished it off nicely. Wild certainly have a bit of wow-factor at the dinner table too.
This looks great, Richard, and very easy indeed. I like the combination of almonds and plums and may add some orange into the mix (perhaps marmelade for the glaze, or some zest).
Thanks, Stefan. I actually contemplated using either lemon zest or orange zest in the cake. If I had some Grand Marnier, I would have done orange zest in teh cake with Grand Marnier in the glaze. I think that would be a very nice combination. As it was, the cake was magnificent. I would definitely make it again.
Delicious is the first word that comes to mind, envy is the second! I love the giant plums which you’ve lovingly dusted and embedded in that light cake batter. The generosity of the plums would undoubtably be the talking piece of the cake. Bravo.
Thanks, Alice. We’re glad you liked this. Your food is always soooo beautiful.
These plums were perfect for this cake. Sweet, yet tart, and large enough you can slice through them and everybody gets a nice sized piece of plum in their dessert. Great flavor combination with the almond cake. 🙂
Absolutely, the whole plums are a must try!
This looks so good! I love the plum/calvados/jam trio to make the cake fruity. 🙂 My food processor recently bit the dust. I do have a blender and KitchenAid – wonder if they would work. It also looks like the recipe would work with any variety of seasonal fruits. Beautiful photos, too.