Summer Plum Almond Cake

I’ve had a simple cake in mind made with fresh fruits. Something not too sweet, sort of on the line of a clafoutis, but not custardy and not too cake-y either. A treat I could snack on and not feel terrifically guilty about, and something that would be simple and easy to throw together.

I had been dreaming of peaches, but at the farmers market I spied some ruby jewel plums- just perfect for my little project.

I was not able to find a recipe for exactly what I was looking for, so I created my own. With delight and joy, it turned out quite nicely on the first go round. Certainly my years of cake making is a help, since batters are a balance of chemistry and there is a consistency that one can expect when all the elements are put together- but then again…

What I was also quite delighted about, was that it was the right amount of sweet and tart and chew that I was looking for- and so- I delightfully am sharing it with you.

The fruits turned out to be ripe to over ripe- perfect for my cake. They were not good for hand eating, and small enough to simply half and tuck into the batter. The only pain was de-stoning those tender babies (imagine ruby red pulp on fingers and my paring knife).

I did not reinvent the wheel here- and I am SURE there is a proper recipe out there for this- but my little beauty contains no butter or oil, and yet it’s moist and delicious. Like I said, a treat that you don’t have to feel too guilty about.