I cooked this cake last winter and have been thinking about it since December, but in true fashion I have waited until what I hope is the end of winter to make it. I am so pleased that I did make it again. The recipe is from Nigella Lawson, and I can’t remember how I got my hands on the recipe but I am so grateful that I did. If you have time, before spring arrives, I urge you to make this cake:
Adapted from Nigella
- 300g of drained tinned plums (mine came in a 560g tin before being drained)
- 125g self raising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 75g ground almonds
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 125g soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1tsp almond essence
- 160g unrefined icing sugar
Preheat oven to 170C.
Drain plums, then chop and drain again.
Mix flour, baking powder and almonds in a bowl. In another bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and then 3tbs of the flour mixture. Beat in the almond essence. Add the rest of the flour mixture and fold in. Then fold in the plums.
Tip into the prepared tin and bake for an hour and a bit maybe, quarter of an hour more. Mine took just over an hour.
In the meantime (and this is where I change the recipe) heat the leftover syrup with 2tbs sugar. Reduce until you are left with a thick syrup. When the cake is slightly cool brush on some of the syrup. I only did a thin coating.
When the cake is completly cool ice with the unrefined icing sugar mixed with 2tbs hot water.
The first time I made the cake I was skeptical about using unrefined icing sugar, but the taste is completely different to normal icing sugar, and gives it a more caramel flavour.
We ate the cake when it was still warm (and then had a bit more when it was cold). There is just over half the cake left and I assume that it will be gone by lunchtime tomorrow, which is a testament to how good this cake is.
Perfecting Pru 
I love the recipe! It looks delicious, Pru!
It looks so good Pru! I can see why you were thinking about it!
I have a glut of plums on my tree this year in fact the branches are draging on the ground, so I’m going to try this recipe with fresh plums as I am looking for different recipes other than jam and crumbles, to use them up..hope it goes well!
Dianne
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One word delicious I have been making this cake for some years but today I took the recipe from my iPad and noticed it had changed slightly too late I had thrown the plumb juice away I will certainly try the new recipe next time. Can’t wait for it to come out the oven and I can ice it.So easy
My sister-in-law made this last year and it was delicious. Like you, it’s taken me a while to get round to baking it. But just one thing: does it need to be only for winter!!!!? I can see it as a lovely summer cake too!…