Servings
4-6
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
80 minutes
Author:
Chef Daniela Gerson
This deliciously rustic fall cake features ripe juicy plums balanced by a nutty-lemony-buttery batter, topped with a sweet icing and a sprinkle of floral lavender. The use of both ground walnuts and Roasted Walnut Oil in the batter adds a layer of complexity and panache.
Ingredients
- 10-15 plums, halved & pitted
-
1/2 cup ground walnuts
- 2 tbsp Roasted Walnut Oil
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature, 1.5 sticks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1.5 cups of all purpose flour
- ВЅ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon lavender flowers, fresh or dry
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from the lemon we zested for the batter)
- 2 tbsp of powdered sugar
Directions
Heat the oven to 375F. Line the base and sides of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.
- Place the butter, walnut oil, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs bit by bit, making sure each is well incorporated before adding the next, then fold in the walnuts, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.
- Arrange the plums halves, skin side down and slightly overlapping, over the top of the cake, right out to the edge.
Bake for 70-80 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center. When you insert a skewer to test for if the batter is cooked all the way, they'll be a moist crumb or two because of the moisture in the plums, that's OK! Once cooled enough to handle, remove the sides of the pan.
- While the cake is baking, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a light, pourable icing (adjust the amount of sugar or juice slightly, to taste.
- Drizzle the icing over the slightly cooled cake and sprinkle with lavender flowers.