We make these in individual cake molds at the Mill + Bakery but for enjoyment at home have adjusted the recipe to be for one nine inch cake. You may recognize the recipe - we started with our Everyday Spelt Tea Cake and amped it up with some delicious Roasted Plum Frosting.
Everyday Spelt Tea Cake
~Adapted from Marian Burros's Plum Torte
1 cup (138g) Flourist Sifted Spelt Flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (162g) sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup (225g) fruit/berries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Roasted Plum Frosting
5-6 plums
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup (227g) butter, softened
3.4 cups (454g) icing sugar, sifted
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 8 or 9 inch springform pan (or cake pan) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk together the Flourist Sifted Spelt Flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld beaters, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add the dry ingredients and the eggs, and beat until just combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the batter with fresh sliced plums. Generously sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.
Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes, and then release the spring and let it finish cooling just on the base.
For the frosting
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice plums in half and pit. Toss with the granulated sugar and roast in the oven until soft and syrupy - about ten minutes. Let cool before pressing through a fine mesh sieve. Discard pulp and skin. You want between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of puree. Top the cake with frosting.
Beat butter in a standing mixture until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar in small additions, beating well in between. With the mixer on low, stream in the plum puree and whip again until fluffy. Use immediately.
Top cake with roasted plums or fresh plums for decoration.
Comment
I used the regular red fife flour and the recipe still turned out wonderful. Instead of sprinkling with turbinado sugar, I used brown sugar. This dense cake is very fun and reminds me of afternoon tea/coffee with Grandma.
My icing was very far from pink, but the roasted plum purée was very fun to drizzle on top of the cake as well.