I've been busy lately, as you might have surmised from the pin-drop silence here on the blog. As penance for my blogging absence, I made you a cake. It just felt like the right thing to do. It became a plum cake when I remembered a handful of plums sitting in my fridge, stowaways from an autumn season that is all-too-quickly turning to winter here on the East Coast. Once plums were involved, it only seemed natural that almond extract - a great friend to plums - should be included. This led me to create a cake batter inspired by my one of my favorite breakfast treats: Almond Poppy Seed Muffins. And with that, Plum Poppy Seed Cake was born.
Plum Poppy Seed Cake
is a cross between Almond Poppy Seed Muffins and a Fruit Buckle (an
old-fashioned cake with fruit baked into the top). The cake is tender but
wholesome, thanks to a winning combination of coconut oil and whole wheat
flour. Poppy seeds add a welcome crunch, and almond extract (backed up by the
coconut oil) infuses the cake with a heady fragrance and rich flavor. Slices of
plums are the cake's crowning glory, forming dimples of jewel-pink fruit as the
cake rises up around them.
Much like my Peach Polenta Upside Down Cake, this cake is an "anytime cake" - a just-sweet-enough treat that can be served for breakfast, as a light dessert, or alongside a cup of tea or coffee when your afternoon could use a pick-me-up. I mean, come on. Cake you're allowed to eat whenever you'd like? SOLD.
Plum Poppy Seed Cake
adapted from Peach Polenta Upside Down Cake
serves 8-10
4 medium plums
1 cup plain
non-dairy milk (soymilk recommended)
1 teaspoon apple
cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup whole
wheat flour
2 tablespoons
cornstarch
2 tablespoons
poppyseeds
3/4 teaspoon baking
powder
1/2 teaspoon baking
soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted
coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened
applesauce
1/2 cup plus 1
tablespoon sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons
almond extract
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. Halve the
plums and remove their pits, then slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges and set
aside. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the milk and vinegar, stir,
and set aside to sour for a few minutes.
In a large bowl,
whisk together the flour, cornstarch, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda,
and salt until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soured
milk, coconut oil, applesauce, 1/2 cup sugar, and almond extract. Pour the wet
ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and gently stir until a smooth
batter forms.
Pour batter into
greased pan and smooth out top with a spatula. Arrange the sliced plums on top
of cake in whatever pattern you'd like, then sprinkle with remaining tablespoon
of sugar. Transfer skillet to oven and bake cake for 38-42 minutes, or until the
center tests clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cake has
cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the springform
portion. Run a knife under the bottom of the cake to loosen it before carefully
transferring to a plate for serving.
