Pick-out-a-plum Cake

Feeds: 8
Making time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 – 50 minutes

Fi says: Plum cake has been around for a very long time – you can tell by the fact that it’s mentioned in nursery rhymes.  The fruit and nuts in this scrummy cake mean it’s not too naughty!

Ingredients
Butter for greasing
200g plums
100g butter
225g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
100g light muscovado sugar
100ml milk
2 large eggs
25g demerara sugar

20cm cake tin
Baking paper
Vegetable knife and sieve
Large mixing bowl
Measuring jug
Damp cloth
Balloon whisk or fork
Wooden spoon
Skewer
                            
What to do
Set the oven to: 350 degrees F; 180 degrees C; 160 degrees C fan; gas mark 4.
Line the cake pan with baking paper and grease the paper with butter.
Wash the plums. Cut them through to the stone all the way round and carefully twist them in opposite directions to remove the stones. Chop the plums into small pieces.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then dice the butter and add this to the flour. Use your fingertips to rub the flour and butter together until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the almonds and muscovado sugar to the flour and butter.
Measure the milk in the measuring jug and break the eggs into it. Place the jug on a damp cloth and beat well with a balloon whisk or fork.
Add the mixed milk and egg to the flour, butter, almonds and sugar. Stir together using a wooden spoon and then gently fold in the chopped plums.
Put the mixture into the lined cake tin and scatter the demerara sugar on top.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes (test by putting a skewer into the cake -  it will come out clean when the cake is cooked).

Tip: Serve hot with Speckled Vanilla Ice Cream (see recipe in Kid’s Kitchen, www.stirrinstuff.org.uk)

Note: always have a grown-up with you when you cook, and wash your hands before you start.

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