I ♥ :: Brown Butter Plum Cake

I have to start be saying that I am truly in loooove with this recipe!  I ♥♥♥! Sugary plums, topped with a browned butter cake. 

I found it when googling plum recipes (reminder: I had 5 lbs of plums for this week's CSA share!) on Julie's blog, then saw it again on Patent & Pantry.  I love how recipes travel through books, friends, and blogs, and each person adds their own touch.

The pictures were so wonderful I couldn't resist and baked 2 cakes last night.  We only kept one, the second we shared with our neighbor who stopped by just as the pies had just come out of the oven...the whole apartment smelled sugary sweet! The effort of making one cake or pie is usually the same as baking 2...so if I have enough ingredients thats what I usually do... why not make and extra and share, take to work, or even freeze for later.

Instead of baking it in a pie pan, I baked it in a cast iron skillet...partly because I thought it would look nice served in the rustic skillet, partly because I don't own a pie pan :-)  Well it worked, the skillet method was perfect.

Here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy as much as I have.  I've enjoyed slices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner already. Next time I'll try baking it in individual ramekins for a dinner party or even a brunch.  It's so easy to make and a good use of fruits without having to undertake baking pie crust, and would go well with many different fruits (peaches, cherries, berries, or apples).

BROWN BUTTER PLUM CAKE (adapted from: Julie's blog)

8 large plums, or 20 small plums

3/4 cup sugar + 2 tbsp sugar (I used organic)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tbsp lemon juice (I like the tartness this adds, but if you would prefer it to be more sweet, skip the lemons)

1 stick butter

1 cup flour

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a pie plate/skillet/ramekins.

Toss the sliced fruit with  2 Tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon.  Spread into the plate or skillet. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and keep cooking it, stirring the pan occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until it turns golden. Pour into a bowl. Allow butter to cool for 5 minutes (you don't want the eggs to cook in the next step!)

Stir the 3/4 cup of sugar into the butter, then the eggs, then the flour. Pour mixture over the fruit and sprinkle a little bit of sugar.

Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and crusty, and the juices ooze from around the edges.  Serve hot with ice cream or let it cool and enjoy at room temperature (my favorite!).

     

PS: In this picture it looks like I'm sharing, that was the first slice. A.'s let me eat the rest all on my own, and he's been having leftover palmiers for dessert instead.  :-)