Cook: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 6-8
This little jewel of a cake is not only rich, moist and delicious but is gluten-free (think Passover) but also a lovely bake to break your Yom Kippur fast one.
It freezes like a dream why not whip up a double batch and save one for a fuss-free tea another time.
Ring the changes with seasonal fruit and switch up the herbs to compliment the topping. Rhubarb and stem ginger or apricot and rosemary would be winners too.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 175°C fan.
- Grease and fully line an 18cm (6 inch) tin.
- Arrange the plums in a circle inside the tin making sure they are laying flat.
- Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until pale, light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add one of the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl to make sure it is fully incorporated.
- Mix the almonds, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Add half the dry ingredients and mix well and then add half the lemon juice.
- Beat in the second egg.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients followed by the rest of the lemon juice and then gently fold in the marzipan if using.
- Gently spoon the mixture over the plums being careful not to disturb them. Smooth the top and then bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cover the top of the cake loosely with foil after about 30 minutes to prevent burning.
- While the cake is baking make the syrup by placing the honey, the lemon juice to taste and zest into a small pan. Melt and then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the syrup is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reserve 2-3 of the sprigs of thyme for decoration and add the rest of the sprigs to the syrup and allow to infuse for 3-5 minutes off the heat.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin then turn out onto a serving plate spoon the syrup over the cake and garnish with the thyme and some chopped almonds if desired.
To get more recipes, click here to sign up for our free JC food newsletter.
Ingredients
Cake
2 medium plums washed and sliced into 6-8 wedges
125 g unsalted butter, softened
140g caster sugar
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs
175g ground almonds
30-40g finely diced marzipan - optional
1/2 tsp (2.5g) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1g) fine salt
Lemon thyme syrup
100ml honey
Juice of 1/2- 1 lemon
6-8 sprigs of washed thyme