Torta di Prugne e Mandorle
Plums, plums & more plums! This is the cake to make when you have an abundance of plums.
This lovely Italian cake is a delight to make. The combination of plums & ground almonds in the mixture provides just the right level of sweetness.
As the slices of plums on top of the batter cook, they create a lovely jammy flavour that also seeps into the cake. It's just heaven!
The recipe works best using plums that aren't overly ripe. My top tip to ensure that the plums don't get mushy when you're thinly slicing them, is put the plums in the freezer for a short while - but just don’t freeze them completely. Toasted flaked almonds on top add that irresistible crunch
Mangia, mangia! 👩🏻🍳
Torta di Prugne e Mandorle recipe:
125g plain flour
125ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
125ml milk
200g sugar
50g ground almonds
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
Zest of 1 lemon & juice of half
1 tsp vanilla extract
6-7 plums thinly sliced
Handful of flaked almonds (toast them)
Serves 8-9 people
1. Lightly oil a 9 inch (23/34 cm) springform cake tin. Dust the tin with flour and tap out any excess. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almonds , baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, milk, lemon juice and zest, the sugar, and the vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk just until combined.
3. Slice the plums as thinly as possible with a sharp knife so they can be arranged on top of the batter. Tip: you can put the plums in the freezer for a short while as they will be easier to slice just don’t let them freeze completely!
4. Pour the batter into the tin & arrange the plum slices on top in a circular fashion - see my pictures to see how I arranged them.
5. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes but check after 45 minutes to see if it’s cooked by inserting a skewer in the centre & if clean, then the cake is done. If not leave a little longer.
6. Transfer the tin to a wire rack and let cool completely. Tip: it’s really important to let the cake cool completely & then run a knife in the edges so it comes away from the ring easily.
7. Before serving add the toasted flaked almonds on top & check my pictures to see how I arranged them.
8. Serve the cake on its own or with some cream. The cake will keep in the fridge for a few days.
