Summer Fruit Cake
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate, by Mari
www.onceuponaplate1.com
(My notes are in italics)
Makes 1 single layer 9-inch cake
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
scant 1 cup sugar*, put 2 tablespoons of this aside for topping
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit: Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries). Pitted apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, cut into wedges or chunks. (I quartered the plums.) If using frozen berries, do not thaw. (The recipe did not indicate the exact amount of fruit to use, next time I'll probably add more plums as they shrunk as they baked, but it was still very good.)
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract; I used almond extract instead.
*You may cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup if desired. I used Italian Plums.
Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, coat with plain breadcrumbs or flour.
In a bowl whisk or stir together the flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, with a spatula, cream together the butter and all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla (plus extract, if using.) Note: I found it more effective to use a whisk to incorporate the butter with the rest of the ingredients.
Stir in the flour mixture with a spatula until smooth. Transfer batter to the
prepared pan. Cover the surface of the batter with fruit, pressing fruit slightly into the batter. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
Note: I tossed the quartered plums with about a tablespoon of sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon before pressing them into batter.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350º, then reduce to 325º and bake until golden
brown and firm to the touch. [Original recipe stated to bake for another 50 to 60 minutes ~ but my cake was done at approximately 35-40 minutes. Perhaps if you really use a lot of fruit you may need to bake longer.]
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a rack. Enjoy!
Recipe posted on www.chowhound.chow.com by Sir Gawain, July 2005/Apparently an adaptation from a Martha Stewart recipe
Click HERE to return to Once Upon a Plate (www.onceuponaplate1.com)
