Dimply Greengage Plum Cake

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to sign up for emails or subscribe to RSS to get free updates whenever there's something new. Prefer to connect by Twitter or Facebook? I'm sharing there too!

Well, hello there, friends! Long time, no see.

I know it’s been awhile – a long while, actually. I’ve missed you and I’ve missed this and soon I’ll be ready to share what the heck has been going on. But for now, I want to talk about this cake. I’m all about this cake … a delicious, delicious, oh-so delicious cake.

It started with a visit to a farm stand, on our way home from the Eastern side of this lovely state of ours, Washington. I was drawn in by a variety of sunny yellow plums known as Greengage. I knew nothing about them other than I had to buy some. Stat.

I got my little beauties home and did some research by way of Dr. Google. Greengage plums, apparently, are a highly desirable, sweet variety that makes for uber-delicious desserts and a highly-prized jam, especially over in the UK.

Alas, I didn’t have enough to try the jam (which sounds delightful). And my bunch was pretty ripe, so they weren’t ideal for jam. And as you can see, they were also more yellow than the more typical limey-chartreuse.

Well, all the better to make cake with!

After poking around a bit more, I found Dorie Greenspan’s Dimply Plum Cake, and I knew it’d be tough to go wrong with a Dorie Greenspan recipe. And indeed, it went oh-so deliciously right.

The cake itself isn’t overly sweet, the perfect companion to coffee or tea for a late weekend-morning breakfast. Orange zest, ground cloves and vanilla illuminate the sweet punches of plum. And the texture of this cake is to die for. Moist, a little dense, melt-in-your mouth delicious. It keeps very well for a couple of days, getting moister and deeper and … yes, I’m using this word, serious food writers avert your eyes: yummier.

And I especially love how the cloves and the orange hint that fall is just around the corner. But it’s only a subtle hint, thankfully – some of us are hanging on dearly to the last bits of summer, and rightfully so.

It’s cute, too. I want to say “pretty” but really, dimples are more cute. The plums bake down into the cake for sweet little indents that, of course, inspire the name.

Try this cake with greengages if you can get your hands on them, or with any other kind of plum. I’m certain you’ll be as pleased as I was – so much I might just have my blogging mojo back! Woo hoo!

Here’s the recipe.

   Print this recipe

Dimply Greengage Plum Cake

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Yields about 9 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (but I’m sure dark would be delicious too)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 greengage plums, halved and pits removed (other varieties will be delicious too!)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Butter and flour an 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cloves.
3. In a stand mixer or with a hand beater, beat the butter on medium until pale and light, about three minutes.
4. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium for another three minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium for one minute after each addition.
6. Staying at medium speed, mix in the oil, orange zest and vanilla extract. The batter should look smooth and satiny.
7. Reduce the power to low speed, and add the flour. Beat just until incorporated.
8. Give it a scrape and quick stir with a spatula to make sure it’s all mixed together, then spread the batter in the baking pan.
9. Lay the plums on top of the cake, four across and four down, cut side up. Give them a little jiggle to help settle them into the batter.
   
10. Sprinkle the top with the turbinado or demerara sugar, if using.
11. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a tester or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
12. Cool for 10 minutes or so, then serve and enjoy!
13. Cover remaining cake with plastic wrap. It will keep at room temperature for two or three days.

More goodies like this:

• Spiced Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles with Cinnamon-Honey Butter
• Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins
• Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
• Almond Buttermilk Waffles
• Chocolate Banana Marble Muffins