Plum and Apricot Cake
I started the concept of fridge foraging because I wanted to show people that you could make delicious food by just using the ingredients already in your house. I was so sick of seeing recipes that necessitated 4 trips to different grocery stores and the use of unconventional ingredients that will only get used once.
When I do fridge foraging for dinner I make up the recipe as I go. I have a rough idea of what it might look like and then I build from there. Winging it in savory cooking is a whole lot easier than winging it with sweet. Baking is an art form and is really scientific. You can't just fix it as you go. That being said I did want to show people a couple basic recipes that they can then riff on depending on what is in their fridge and pantry. This plum and nectarine cake is just that.
Consider this a base recipe for whatever you have in your fridge. If you don't have plums or nectarines, totally fine feel free to use any type of stone fruit or berry. You could even do it with frozen fruit, just know that the frozen fruit color may bleed a little into the batter as it bakes.
So the next time you have extra fruit hanging around, consider making your own version of this plum and nectarine cake.
Plum and Apricot Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of ground cloves, optional
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. pure almond extract
- 2 to 3 plums and/or apricots pitted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
- 1 Tbs. Turbinado sugar
- Powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9" springform pan with non stick spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cloves if using, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and almond.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the wedges of apricots and plums. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake for about 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cake cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes about 6 to 8 servings
