Monday, August 8, 2011

Plum Kuchen

Scrumptious. Complex in flavors but very simple in execution. I may have tweaked the actual "kuchen"ness of this cake by adding plain yogurt to the cake batter. But the batter was so dry, I was afraid it would come out more like a shortbread than a cake, so I moistened it up a bit with the yogurt. And I'm happy I did. This cake totally rocked.

I highly recommend using a springform pan if you have one. I've had trouble in the past with cakes like this overflowing my regular cake pans, and using a springform pan definitely helped that problem.

Plum Kuchen
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light


Photobucket

6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated 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
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds plums, quartered and pitted
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine milk, vanilla, egg, and yogurt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

Spoon batter into a 9-inch round metal cake pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange plums in a circular pattern over batter.

Combine remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, lemon rind, and allspice in a small bowl, stirring well. Place remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until butter melts. Stir into sugar mixture. Sprinkle plums evenly with sugar mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until browned and bubbling. Cool in pan 1 hour on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.

No comments:

Post a Comment