Sunburst Plum Cake

Imagine my surprise when, yesterday evening, I went for some retail therapy at our very rural charity shop in the middle of the North Sea and picked up, for 20 p, a delightful little cookery book entitled A Taste of the Canadian Rockies Cookbook by Myriam Leighton and Chip Olver (1994). The cover photograph was none other than Banff, Alberta, a town nestled right in the middle of the Rockies and I used to live there back in the mid-90s! 'Heading West' is what we East-coasters used to do in our late teens/early 20s to  'find ourselves'. I found myself cleaning toilets and making the beds of an endless queue of Japanese and German tourists so I didn't stay long. I only lived there just shy a year. The picture below is one of the few photos I have of my time in the Rockies. Aaaahhh.. fond memories. :)

This cake recipe was provided by Sandra Howard from the Mt. Assiniboine Lodge and it is quite nice indeed. The cake itself is much like a pineapple upside-down cake without the syrup (and pineapple) and the fresh plums add a subtle sweetness. The OH thought it was just perfect but I think it could do with a sprinkling of icing sugar when serving.

3/4 cup (170 g) butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
8-9 ripe plums, destoned and cut into wedges

Butter and line a 28 cm fluted flan pan with greaseproof paper. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Sift baking powder and flour together and add to egg mixture. Beat until combined. The batter will be very thick. Spoon the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange plum wedges on top and press in slightly.

Bake in a preheated 180 C (350 F) oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve with single cream.

As this recipe title has the letter S in it, I am submitting it to December's Alphabakes 'S' challenge hosted  this month by The More Than Occasional Baker. Do pop on over to the Alphabakes co-host Caroline Makes to have a look through November's entries.