Plum Cake

Snowed-in boredom continues…day two. Of course this means more cooking!

I made this plum cake in the hopes that I’d be sharing it with lots of hungry mouths ready for its tart, crumb-y, sour cream-y-ness tomorrow. Alas, the Federal Government is closed tomorrow…and so is my work. I’ll have to find new people to push my wares on instead.

This is another recipe that needs no changing. It’s perfect just as it is.

Enjoy!

From Real Simple Magazine

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan, at room temperature
• 4 firm, ripe plums, each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the plums and 1/4 cup of the sugar and cook, tossing, until the sugar dissolves and the juices from the plums become syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool.  Arrange the plums in the cake pan in slightly overlapping concentric circles, starting from the outside. Spoon any pan juices over the top.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. With an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of the butter and 2/3 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
5. Pour the batter over the plums and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 1 hour. Place a large plate over the cake pan and invert the cake onto the plate.