an unattractive tasty plum cake

Posted on March 1, 2011 by cityhippyfarmgirl

I knew in my mind the sort of cake I wanted to make. Not too sweet, using half plums, and perhaps a little almond meal in there. Could I find a recipe within my collection that was even remotely like it, no. Not a whisker. I didn’t want to trawl the internet, so it was back to hack baking. I’m certainly no stranger there.

Springform pan greased and lined with parchment paper on the bottom. Cutting 5 plums in half, lining them up round side down and then sprinkled with a tablespoon of sugar.

In a mixing bowl add,

150gms softened butter

1 cup raw sugar (approx 140gms)

cream together, add

2 beaten eggs

1 tps cinnamon

1 cup natural yogurt (approx 250mls)

1 cup almond meal (approx 100gms)

1 cup s/r flour (approx 150gms)

Spoon mixture on top of plum halves and bake at 180C for approximately 1hour 15mins.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room. It doesn’t look pretty. It really doesn’t. I couldn’t photograph its prettier angle, as there was no prettier angle. The food stylist was clearly out for a long lunch. It is what it is, an unattractive tasty plum cake.

That’s ok though, these things happen in every day cooking.

* Edit. I forgot one litttttle thing. I flipped the cake. So the bottom is now on the top. If you would like to see how an unflipped cake looks, read on down in the comments and you will see Keri’s superb looking cake she made.

40 thoughts on “an unattractive tasty plum cake”

Keri on March 1, 2011 at 4:29 pm said:

It still looks yummy to me!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 1, 2011 at 7:44 pm said:
  
  Thanks Keri.
  
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leighbakes on March 1, 2011 at 5:01 pm said:

Y’know, I actually disagree…I think it looks quite pretty. 🙂 In a non-traditional way, I guess. I just think the pink and purple looks nice spread out like that over the top. And it looks like something I’d want to cut into and eat, which is even more important!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 1, 2011 at 7:46 pm said:
  
  Thanks Leigh, pretty in its own squishy kind of way…maybe 🙂
  Cut and eat we did though, there was a little squabbling for the last piece.
  
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bagnidilucca on March 1, 2011 at 5:47 pm said:

I’ll bet it tastes great. I’d like a slice.

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 1, 2011 at 7:47 pm said:
  
  Happily give you one Debra.
  
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thecompletecookbook on March 1, 2011 at 5:50 pm said:

What a lovely easy recipe for a fabulous cake.
🙂 Mandy

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 1, 2011 at 7:48 pm said:
  
  Super easy Mandy. Last minute cakey decision and I wanted sweet-ish and easy!
  
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Kate on March 1, 2011 at 7:50 pm said:

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, I just left the kitchen in a huff and came to play on the computer instead because I couldn’t find a plum cake recipe that inspired me. I am not at all a make it up as you go along baker. I am going to make this tomorrow. THANK YOU!! X

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 1, 2011 at 8:24 pm said:
  
  Let me know how you go Kate. Another way you could play with it is do the cakey mixture and then pop the half plums on the top. I think that would work to. I’m very much a make it up as I go along baker. Actually, way too much!! It takes a lot of concentration from me not to change something.
  
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Joanna @ Zeb Bakes on March 1, 2011 at 7:56 pm said:

Just shows how confident you are in your baking – cook book next I think! I am not keen on overly styled food blogs anyway, I like pictures that look possible for me to make, not impossible and yours looks delectable, I think that’s the word, yes, delectable!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 1, 2011 at 8:28 pm said:
  
  Thanks Joanna… I don’t think it’s confidence, just a willingness to still eat what ever happens 🙂
  I do try and aim for things looking achievable though. Everyday cooking doesn’t have to be complicated…
  
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Anna Johnston on March 1, 2011 at 10:17 pm said:

Cool! Love a bit of hack cooking myself., looks like you’ve achieved great results…, I’m kind of salivating this end… bet it tastes great huh 😉

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:11 pm said:
  
  Thanks Anna. I love plums, it’s a bit sad to see the end of summer, meaning the end of plums. I have to try and shove them in as many recipes as possible.
  
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sunitra on March 1, 2011 at 10:40 pm said:

Oh it looks YUMMMMMMMYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want some now!!!!!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:12 pm said:
  
  Sorry Sunitra, all you got was kid scraps yesterday. Bad friend!
  
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heidi on March 2, 2011 at 1:04 am said:

I love plum cake. I even like prune cake.
Nd I like the look- although I might have sliced the plums rather than half them and spread them in overlaying slices on top?
Just a thought.
But your cake is perfect when there is none left and squabbling goes on for the last piece.
I’m going to wait for some fresh plums, but definitely making this one. Thanks, Brydie!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:13 pm said:
  
  Hmm, you’re right Annie, sliced could look good. I might try that next time if I can rustle up some more plums.
  
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drfugawe on March 2, 2011 at 1:40 am said:

For those of us who do ‘food blogging’ there is an insidious yet not immediately obvious element known as Food Photography. When I started doing this, I simply had no idea how the photography end of food blogging can so easily become the most critical and important part of the entire game. And I – for one – fight this potential every time I post.

Therefore, I’ve convinced myself that since how food tastes is SO much more important than how food looks, I shall refuse to surrender to the “Pretty Food Police” – I simply do my best with the pics, and concentrate on the important part, creating food that is memorable because it is delicious – not because it looks great.

And I satisfy myself that other food bloggers know exactly what I mean – and can relate.

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:15 pm said:
  
  🙂 I think the “pretty food police” were out for a long lunch along with the food stylist Doc.
  
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Mariana on March 2, 2011 at 9:26 am said:

Another title for your cake could be “Rustic Plum Cake”. It’s certainly one of my favourite words. Your cake depicts homeliness and comfort and real baking. It’s a big “Yes please, can I have some more”, for me.

I can fully relate to hack baking. I hardly refer to recipes anymore for a basic cake mixture. Funny thing, I hardly measure either. Perhaps after you do it for so long it just comes with the experience.

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:21 pm said:
  
  Ahh, rustic… A word that I would be quite lost without.
  
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Renee on March 2, 2011 at 10:23 am said:

Sure looks ok to me!!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:22 pm said:
  
  Thank you Renee
  
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Keri on March 2, 2011 at 10:24 am said:

You inspired me so much that I made one myself last night! I think my springform tin must be smaller than yours as I could only fit four plums in the bottom (and my cake turned out higher). It therefore looked pretty much like a “normal” cake on top, but you could see the plum juice stains on the side. It was very yummy and moist. I brought it into work to share this morning. Thanks so much for a great, easy recipe and for the inspiration. (I was so excited I even took a photo of the finished product)!

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:09 pm said:
  
  Keri thank you! It’s incredibly humbling to think that something I made encouraged someone enough to do their own. I’d love to see a picture if you want to share it.
  Hope your work mates liked it too.
  
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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 2:05 pm said:
  
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  - cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 2:09 pm said:
    
    Keri’s darn tasty looking plum cake!
    
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Sonia on March 2, 2011 at 11:24 am said:

I say the ugliest stuff is always the yummiest. I can taste it from here!! I wish I was as brave as you in the kitchen….

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 1:23 pm said:
  
  Not brave Sonia, just willing. Willing to still eat what ever I create. Mostly it pays off, and I just ignore the raw on the inside, burnt on the outside collapsed creations 🙂
  
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Celia on March 2, 2011 at 3:44 pm said:

Now I’m confused…I was sure I’d left a comment on this post?

What I thought I’d said was..Brydie, you couldn’t take a bad photo if you tried! I think that looks scrumptious. Isn’t that just the right word for it? Scrumptious. 🙂

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 7:55 pm said:
  
  I CAN take a bad photo! When ever I want a chuckle I go back to my first posts when I started the blog. So funny… Thanks for the lovely compliment though. (Not sure what happened to your comment before, nothing hiding in spam either.)
  
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Christine on March 2, 2011 at 5:22 pm said:

I think it looks great the way it is….a true comfort food.. I would slather it in cream or custard and curl up on the couch and eat in while it was still warm. I wish we had some fresh plums to play with…the birds and school children seem to have visited the most heavily laden tree in town.

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- cityhippyfarmgirl on March 2, 2011 at 7:57 pm said:
  
  Mmm, custard wouldn’t be half bad… Saying that, I’d probably happily eat toast and custard.
  I think the plums days are numbered, so I’m enjoying them while I can.
  
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Choclette on March 3, 2011 at 5:34 am said:

Poor thing, how could you call it unattractive – such a beautiful colour. And the fact that is was tasty has got to be it’s main selling point surely!

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Wendy on March 3, 2011 at 6:54 am said:

Unattractive??? We need to review that word for you Brydie as that is one appealing looking cake. Can only imagine this was a moist tasty creation and one we could substitute with the last of the peaches and nectarines we’re seeing. Ahh, summer is nearly over…but on the up, here comes the blood orange.

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Amanda on March 3, 2011 at 1:29 pm said:

Oh, I am glad I wandered over to you for a look.
I have some plums in the fruit bowl and a killer recipe for an upside down plum cake.
Yum, afternoon tea!

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SherryGreens on March 3, 2011 at 5:57 pm said:

Unattractive, no! Pretty, yes. Mmmmm.

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cityhippyfarmgirl on March 4, 2011 at 6:31 am said:

Choclette- it was tasty, and I think if you squinted your eyes shut and just peeked through your lashes it could have been pretty.

Wendy- My girl, you actually ate some of that cake. Remember when you were rifling through my fridge 🙂

Amanda- I hope it turned out for you. Plums are just lovely to make things with aren’t they.

SherryGreens- Thankyou!

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