Prune plums, or European plums, are a late summer delight. Their dark blue skin creates a gorgeous purple in the cake as it bakes. The luscious tang of the plums is perfectly complemented by a light cake lit up with Limoneira® lemon and spices, for the perfect accompaniment to a scoop of ice cream.
With a sharp knife, cut the plums in half lengthwise, and pull out the pits.
Place the prunes in a small bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss lightly to coat.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, and lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch springform cake pan. If you don’t have a springform, you can simply use a regular cake or pie pan, and cut the cake directly from the pan rather than removing it.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Blend together with a whisk.
In a second mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until the texture is light a fluffy.
Add the egg as you continue to beat.
Add the yogourt, and beat until the batter is smooth. It should be reasonably thick.
Spoon the batter into the pan, and use the back of a spoon to smooth it evenly into place.
Take the plum halves, and place them into the batter into a circular, spiralling pattern- or whatever your imagination creates.
Sprinkle the top, especially the fruit, with 1 tablespoon golden sugar.
Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
About 5 minutes before you remove it from the oven, sprinkle the last tablespoon of golden sugar onto the top.
Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes before removing the springform, or cutting a slice.
Notes
Note: Choose plums as ripe as you can get – it will be very easy to halve them and simply pull out the pits.