Plum Kuchen

Ripe plums are the sweetest on early fall and an excellent ingredient for pie, like a sweet dessert or breakfast.
Frozen plums can be used as well, but is first necessary to peel a plum.
For Breakfast or Dessert! Any plum will do for this recipe. In fact, you can mix them for a contrast of flavor and color. I would recommend you peel the plums if you don’t like tart desserts. But if you do then a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream will help balance the flavors. I love the look of this cake. It makes such a pretty presentation and was VERY easy to make.

Serves 10.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 7 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 pounds plums, quartered and pitted
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cardamom. Whisk together. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Combine milk, vanilla, and egg in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir until just combined.
4. Spoon batter into a 9-inch round metal cake pan coated with cooking spray. ( I used a spring form pan) Arrange plums in a circular pattern over batter.
   Combine remaining 2/3 cup sugar, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, lemon rind, and allspice in a small bowl, stirring well. Microwave remaining 3 tablespoons butter until the butter melts. Stir into sugar mixture. Sprinkle plums evenly with sugar mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until browned and bubbling. Cool in pan 1 hour. Cut into wedges.