Plum Torte

This recipe is delicious if kept for 24 hours before eating. You can substitute peaches, nectarines or apricots for the plums. I have made this with Victoria plums and Mirabelles. The torte made with Mirabelles was my favourite, although both were delicious.

Plum Torte:

26cm cake tin, greased and lined with baking parchment on the bottom.

300g plain flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
300g caster sugar
4 large eggs
grated zest of 1 lemon or 1/2 an orange
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
150g butter, melted and cooled
enough plums when cut in half to cover the cake tin twice
extra caster sugar for dusting top of torte

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4
• Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Mix the flour, almonds, baking powder, zest and cinnamon (if using)  together.
• Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the creamed eggs and sugar, and beat in gently.
• Add 1/2 the butter and beat in gently.
• Repeat the last 2 steps.
• Pour 1/2 the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
• Place 1/2 the plums over the cake mixture (you don’t need to worry about any order).
• Add the remaining cake mixture and then place the remaining plums on top of it. You can do it orderly or higgledy piggledly – both ways will look good and taste delicious.
• Sprinkle top  generously with caster sugar.
• Place in oven. This takes around 50 minutes to one hour to cook. If the plums start to burn, lightly cover the top with foil.
• Once cooked allow to cool and then turn onto a cooling rack.

This cake keeps for at least five days. It freezes well too.
It is delicious on its own, with cream, clotted cream, creme fraiche or mascarpone.