Plum Almond Cake

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Last year at this time, when plums were in season, I posted a recipe for Chez Panisse's Plum Tart that people still e-mail me about. This year, for plum season, I wanted to share a recipe for an incredibly easy dessert that you can enjoy the next morning with your coffee. It's like a plum cake that takes only a few minutes to assemble and then bake. Since it only uses egg whites, I save my egg yolks and the next day I either make fresh pasta with them or some kind of delicious chocolate dessert that requires egg yolks.

I made this dessert in a 9x9 tart pan with a removable bottom, but you can just make it in any small baking dish. Do not use something as large as a 9x13 baking pan. A 9x9 cake pan is fine.

I used Stanley Plums, simply because they were at the Farmer's market. They are a nice plum but do not have a real depth of flavor like some others. Use whichever is your favorite plum for this recipe.

I love this dessert because it is not overly sweet. Brian and I enjoyed it with a wonderful glass of Sokol Blosser white dessert wine that we picked up when we were in Oregon. It truly is "a glass of golden perfection" and it was heavenly with this cake.


Plum Almond Cake

for a printer friendly recipe, click here

5 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup almond flour
1/2 cup flour
13 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 Plums, halved and pits removed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour your tart or cake pan. In a large bowl, mix the egg whites and sugar vigorously with a wire whisk for a couple of minutes. Add the flours and whisk again and then add the cooled butter, almond extract and lemon zest and whisk until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place plum halves on top of batter.

Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.