I love this time of year. There is still warmth in the sun despite the shadows lengthening and we still have some of those beautiful summer fruits; figs, apricots and plums. I seem to recover the energy that has been leeched from me by the oppressive summer heat and a manic need to create takes hold. Now is the time to learn new things. Such as the different pathologies to aberrant behaviours, knitting thick woollen blankets using just my arms, playing Kate Nash songs the ukulele, how to sing in French, testing and retesting on a quest to find my perfect pie crust and the perfect vanilla cake to layer (if you lovelies have with recipes you swear by let me know!).
Tangy plums set in a soft pistachio cake batter and drizzled with a yogurt icing, tinged pretty pink with plum juice. This is a cake I baked a few times during this period of self indulgent withdrawal. Easy, familiar and adaptable. A comforting early autumnal cake using stone fruit from summer just passed. Lightly sweet with a warm and slightly salty nutty crumb. The cake is not dense but it is not airy either, a perfect in between state. The original cake is an almond and fruit cake from my grandmothers handwritten recipe archives - I have substituted half the almond meal with pistachio meal (which is pistachio kernels blitzed in a coffee grinder or food processor until fine and flour like) and added in some yogurt for extra moisture.
Plum & Pistachio Cake
INGREDIENTS
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup /150g caster sugar
3 Free range eggs, at room temperature
3 Tbsp Greek yogurt, unsweetened
1 Cup Almond meal
1 Cup Pistachio meal
1/2 Cup Plain flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
7-12 Plums, halved and pitted (depending on how big yours are)
Pistachio kernels, crushed to decorate
For the yogurt icing2 Tbsp natural yogurt
3/4 Cup Icing sugar
Optional: Roasted plum syrup - I always have a lot of roasted plums this time of year so I added the syrup for extra plummy flavour and to make it a pretty pink colour - you can omit this though
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F. Grease a 20 cm springform pan with butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the yogurt.
Mix in the almond and pistachio meals. Fold through the flour, baking powder and salt.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Place the plum halves on top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Allow cake to set in pan for further 10 minutes then transfer cake to wire rack, unclip cake ring and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl mix together the icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cool cake and allow to set. Scatter with remianing crushed pistachio kernels.