Plum and Almond Cake

 

Ingredients:

180g butter

180g castor sugar

100g ground almonds

5ml almond essence

3 extra large eggs, beaten

180g self-raising flour

80ml water

6 plums or nectarines or any stone fruit, halved and thinly sliced

Castor sugar for sprinkling

Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Cream the butter and add the sugar, ground almonds and almond essence, beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs beating well in between each addition.

Fold the flour into the butter mixture alternating with the water until well blended.

Pour the cake mixture into a square baking tin and arrange the sliced fruit on top. 

Sprinkle a little castor sugar over the fruit and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (bearing in mind that this is a moist cake and should be juicy because of the nectarines). 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in its tin before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.