Rustic Plum Cake

This cake turned out so much butter then I thought it would, and I thought it looked very good. I used Black Plums, I think. Hard to tell here in Costa Rica. You cook the plum halves in Brandy and Jam, just until they are a bit soft. I used cranberry, blueberry jam. That's what I had on hand. To lazy to walk to the store. Or drive. Hey I walked the beach in the morning and I was tired. I will diffently make this cake again and again. Loved it! Try it!

2 Tablespoons red currant or seedless raspberry jam

3 Tablespoons brandy

1 pound ( about 10 plums)

3/4 Cup unbleached all purpose flour. Extra for dusting pan

3/4 Cup sugar

1/3 Cup of almonds

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temp.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract.

Cook jam and brandy in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until reduced to a thick syrup, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and place plums cut-side down in syrup, return skillet to medium heat and cook until plums shed their juices and thick syrup is again formed, about 5 minutes, shaking pan to prevent plums from sticking. Cool plums in pan for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 inch springform pan ( I used a 9 in. cake pan). Process sugar and almonds in food processor until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, about ten 1-secound pulses. Add eggs, vanella,and almont extract and process until smooth, about 5 seconds ( batter will be very thick and heavy).

Transfer batter to prepared pan, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Stir plums to coat with syrup. Arrange plum halves, skin-side down, evenly over surface of batter. Bake until cake is golden brown and wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached 40-50 min. Run a paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cool in pan for 30 minutes remove cake from pan. Enjoy