Monday, July 18, 2011

Happy Birthday, Chris!


Last week was my friend Chris' birthday, which means a chance to bake a cake!  Chris shares my love of culinary experimentation, so the last time we had gotten together I brought my newest Cooking Light to his house.  He seemed intrigued by the plum kuchen recipe.  So that's what he got for a birthday cake :-)  Though it is more of a coffee cake, with the addition of a little ice cream it is a perfect dessert.


Plum Kuchen adapted from July 2011 Cooking Light
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup plus 2 T white sugar
2 T brown sugar
1 t baking powder
3/8 t salt, divided
1/4 t ground ginger
7 T butter, divided
1/2 c milk
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1- 1 1/2 lbs plums (midnight plums have the deepest color, but a variety looks pretty)
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425F.
Quarter and pit the plums.

Combine flour, 2 T white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, 1/4 t salt, and ginger.
Cut in 4 T chilled butter until will mixed.
Add milk, egg, and vanilla.
Spray 9 inch round cake pan.  Spoon in batter.  Using a well greased back of a spoon spread batter around pan.
Place sliced plums in a circular patter on top of the batter.

Mix 2/3 c white sugar, lemon juice, 3 T melted butter, allspice, cinnamon, and remaining salt.
Sprinkle evenly over cake.

Bake on a cookie sheet or piece of tin foil (because the juice will bubble over the sides) for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for an hour.
Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.

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