Saturday, September 11, 2010

Crunchy-Topped Whole-Wheat Plum Cake

From the NYTimes Rosh Hashanah section (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/dining/08apperex.html?ref=dining.) I made this for lunch with friends and ate the remainder the rest of the week. I am on a plum kick recently in a major way, and loved every minute of this. So plummy. So good.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease pan

1 1/2 pounds plums, preferably several varieties, pitted and sliced

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Whipped cream, for serving (optional).

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

2. Place the plum slices in a bowl and gently toss with 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining whole-wheat flour with the baking powder and kosher salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together 1/2 cup butter, sugar, Cognac or brandy and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly combined.

4. Add half the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Pour in the milk and continue beating, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined.

5. Scrape the dough into the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Scatter on the plums in an even layer. Sprinkle the Demerara sugar on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving, with whipped cream if you like.

Yield: 8 servings.

Happy New Year!

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