¾ to 1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted (measure first, then sift)
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt (optional)
24 halves pitted purple plums
sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Beat in the eggs, then the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Spoon the batter into a greased and parchment lined springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches.
- Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and cool; serve plain or with whipped cream.
Variations:
- Slice the plums instead of halving them. And instead of sprinkling the lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon on top, mix the ingredients together, toss in the sliced plums, and mix well. Then arrange them in a fan pattern on top of the batter.
- Italian version: Instead of plums, use one basket each of raspberries and blackberries. Also, substitute 1/3 cup cornmeal for 1/3 cup of the flour. For the topping, substitute coarse sugar for the granulated sugar.
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