For this week’s theme, you can use plums of any stripe. Make them sweet, savory, or tart. Keep them fresh, bake them into cakes, or cook them down to jam. We’re ready to start pitting.
These are not your usual contests. We have a slightly nutty
system but it works. Together, the Food52 community has created two
cookbooks this way -- there's no stopping us now. Read about it
We used Italian prune plums but you should use whatever kind you like.
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This plum got a gold star for the day, for willingly releasing its pit!
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Creaming the butter and sugar, a task we never tire of.
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We are serious students. Occasionally.
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Once the butter and sugar are creamed, it's time for the eggs.
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Next, some sour cream.
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Vanilla and lemon zest for aroma.
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Then the dry ingredients -- flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt -- mixed just until the mixture clumps like this. We finished mixing it by hand -- folding the batter together until it was smooth.
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After spreading half the batter into the prepared pan, Merrill sprinkled the top with brown sugar.
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Next the fun part! Please note that Amanda added too many plums here. She later rearranged, but it looked messy and we don't like messy photos!
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We spread the rest of the batter on top.
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Added some more plums, this time cut-side-up -- you'll see why in a second.
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One last showering of brown sugar.
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Then the oven produces this little gem.
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To get the cake out of the pan, Amanda set up a "pedestal."
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She set the cake on top, pulled down the sides of the pan.