dillymug 
Well it seems that if you blinked you will have missed summer. Autumn is well and truly on its way and with that the plum tree in our garden seems to be past its best. I always feel it’s a waste if I don’t manage to use at least some of its fruit. It is a yellow plum tree so can it be tricky to find recipes. In the past I have made jam using the fruit which I then used in a Victoria sponge and an almond and plum slice. I was determined that this year I would use some of the fruit in a bake. I had spotted this Delicious Magazine recipe a while ago and saved it to my Pinterest page as it used yellow plums and decided it was time to give it a go.
This recipe makes a very moist and fruity cake and would work well as a dessert. The finished cake will keep, wrapped in baking paper and foil, for up to 3 days. You will need a 20cm x 30cm x 5cm cake tin or swiss roll tin.
Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
250g golden caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
250g self-raising flour
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
75g ready-made thick custard (such as Ambrosia)
15 ripe but firm red and yellow plums (5 chopped, 10 halved)
50g flaked almonds
Golden syrup to serve
Method:
1) Heat your oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of your cake or swiss roll tin with baking paper.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar using an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, adding a little flour with each. Fold in the rest of the flour, the bicarbonate of soda and the salt.
3) Fold in the vanilla extract, custard and chopped plums, then pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth out.
4) Bake for 25 minutes, then very gently, so the mixture isn’t disturbed, remove from the oven and lightly lay the plum halves, cut-side up, on top. Scatter with the almonds, then bake for another 45 minutes or until golden (cover with foil if the cake browns too quickly.) Test the cake is ready by pushing a skewer into the middle – it should be slightly sticky but not wet.
5) Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with golden syrup to serve.
