Author Notes
Oh no: I am dreaming in plums. I woke up this morning with this idea for a golden plum cake made with saffron, lemon and almonds in my head. Since I was plum out of plums, I had to visit our local fruit market first thing this morning. And they had mini golden sweet plums just in from a local farmer: Irresistible. Ripe plums work best with this recipe. I am continuing to test drive my new crust recipe, which is really easy and really delicious. I think Arrowhead Mills Baking Mix is like the Bisquik of the gluten free market. I can't believe how easy and good this recipe is! My grandmother would have sifted confectionery sugar on top: just like fairy dust, I used to think.In her honor I have done the same. I was also thinking of trying this recipe with Dutch cocoa and walnuts, but so far that has turned out to be a nightmare. For interest I uploaded one photo, which looks innocent enough...but the taste was very bitter. Another time I will work on that further. For now, serving the golden plum cake slightly warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar and a side of vanilla ice cream is my dream come true. —Sagegreen
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Ingredients
- Bottom
-
1 1/8 cups
gluten-free all purpose flour (Arrowhead Mills baking mix) If you are not interested in the gluten free option, you can use an organic pastry flour instead
-
1/3 cup
ground almonds
-
2 tablespoons
organic cane sugar
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1/4 teaspoon
saffron
-
pinch of salt
-
3 tablespoons
Greek yogurt (fage)
-
6 tablespoons
canola oil
-
1
yoke of egg, beaten
-
1/2 teaspoon
fresh lemon zest
-
1/2 teaspoon
grated ginger
- Filling
-
1 3/4-2 cups
sweet golden plums, sliced thinly and depitted
-
1/2 cup
heavy cream
-
1-2
whole eggs, beaten (depending upon how "custardy" you like)
-
4-6 ounces
organic cane sugar (depending upon sweetness of plums)
-
1/8 teaspoon
saffron stamens
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1/4 teaspoon
fine zest of fresh lemon
-
2
drops of almond extract
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1 teaspoon
fresh lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon
plum brandy or amaretto
-
1/2 teaspoon
fresh ground cinnamon
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sprinkle of demerara sugar and fresh nutmeg
-
1 ounce
toasted almonds
-
ice cream, whipped cream and/or sprinkle of confectionery sugar for final touches
Directions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grind the almonds in a coffee grinder.
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Mix all the dry ingredients together for the bottom .
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Next mix in the yogurt.
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Add the oil one spoonful at a time.
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Add the yoke and spices. The mixture will consolidate quickly and remain crumbly-looking.
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Press this mix into your baking dish (@10") with an even pressure so the dough is thin (about 1/4" or even a bit less than that). Create walls that are 1 " tall. You can work quickly with this dough because it is so easy to work with, I find.
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Crimp the top of the wall with your favorite technique. I pinch a pattern with my thumb and forefinger. You can set this shell aside (even chill and use the next day).
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Sugar the plums with 3-4 tbl. organic cane sugar (depending upon their sweetness), a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
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Whisk the cream and eggs together for the filling. If you want a more custard-like filling, use two full eggs. If not, use just one egg.
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Add the remaining cane sugar, saffron, almond extract, zest, juice, and brandy to the cream.
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Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture into the shell. Arrange your plums on top. Pour in the remaining cream to fill the shell. Do not overfill.
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Top with toasted almonds, cinnamon and a sprinkle of demerara sugar and fresh nutmeg.
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Bake @25-30 minutes until golden brown and set even in the middle. Let cool for several hours or overnight so the filling sets further.
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Sift powdered sugar on top just before serving (slightly warm) with ice cream or whipped cream, listen to the Nutcracker, and savor every magical bite.
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