Plumalicious

The original plan was to make a plum tart, but a week went by and the plums were on their way out. Rude, I know. The next best dessert to a plum tart is a French Tart Cake. The recipe was from Joy of Cooking, and it's actually called "French Apple or Peach Cake". So obviously, I used plums.

Sliced plums sprinkled with sugar, orange juice, orange rind, and melted butter

This cake is very much like an upside-down pineapple cake. There is an option of finishing the baked cake with a meringue, but I opted out. Instead of using only two egg yolks since I wasn't making a meringue, I simply added the whole eggs to the cake batter.

French Plum Cake, recipe below

My favorite part of this cake is the topping. The plums break down and cook into a delicious preserve texture, very flavorful, the perfect level of sweetness, and a brilliant color. Another great thing about this recipe is how quick it is to assemble. If you ever want a quick dessert that's delicious, this fits the profile.

---

French Plum Cake
From The Joy of Cooking
(Back to the top)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sliced plums


• 2/3 cup sugar


• Grated rind of 1 orange, and 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice


• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 2 tablespoons melted butter


• 1 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 2 large eggs


• 1 tablespoon melted butter


• 1/4 cup milk


• Whipped cream


• Extra grated orange rind for finishing

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet and cover the bottom with the plums. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup sugar, the grated orange rind, and the juice, then with 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Pour 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the surface.


2. Whisk together the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, remaining melted butter, and the milk. Whisk into the flour mixture with swift strokes until blended. Cover the fruit with the batter. Bake for about 30 minutes, then reverse it on a platter. Cool slightly, then serve with a large dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with grated orange rind.