Plum Crumble Cake

By Lindsey Sherrard

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

5oz / 140g Butter

5oz / 140g Caster sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ tsp Vanilla essence

5oz / 140g Plain flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 ½ / 700g Red plums, halved and stoned

For the topping:

4oz / 115g Plain flour

4 ½ oz / 130g Light brown sugar

1 ½ tsp Ground cinnamon or Mixed Spice

3oz / 85g Butter, cut in pieces

1.     Preheat the oven to 350*F / 180*C / Gas 4

2.    For the topping combine the flour, light brown sugar and ground cinnamon or mixed spice in a bowl. Add the butter and work the mixture lightly with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs and set aside.

3.    Line a 10 x 12 inch / 25 x 5 cm loose bottom tin with grease proof paper.

4.    Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

5.    Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Stir in the vanilla essence.

6.    In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold into the butter mixture in 3 batches.

7.    Pour the mixture into the tin and arrange the plums on top.

8.    Sprinkle the topping over the plums in an even layer.

9.    Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, approx 45 minutes

10. Leave to cool in the tin. Once removed serve with the topping side up.

Other fruits that work well with this cake are Apricots, Black berries or stoned cherries.

This can be served as a cake or warm pudding with thick double cream