Submitted by Mary Jane Maffini
Many years ago, I found this wonderful little cake recipe in
a magazine. I no longer even remember which one! At that point in my life I had
lots to do (job, family, work travel and writing like mad in my ‘spare’ time), and
not much time and this was the perfect cake for me and mine. Somehow over the
years, the recipe vanished. I had various archaeological digs into my recipe
files and boxes of, but no luck. I never gave up hope that I would be reunited
with my plum cake and sure enough, last week, I opened a cookbook and the
clipping fluttered out. I was so excited
I made four of these cakes. No trouble finding homes for them!
Plum or rhubarb cake
2 large eggs
½ cup plus one tablespoon sugar
½ cup plus one tablespoon flour
1 – 2 tablespoons chilled butter
2 -3 ripe prune plums (or ½ cup or so chopped rhubarb)
Pour into greased 8 inch baking pan. Arrange a layer of fruit on the top. Top with dabs of butter. 
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. In my strange relationship with my fairly new
convection oven, I now bake it at 370 for 25 minutes.
When the cake is cool, dust with icing sugar. Serve as is or with whipping cream or ice
cream.
You saved enough time to put your feet up and read a book
(and eat your cake).
Mary Jane Maffini is the author of thirteen and a half
mystery series. Her fifth Charlotte
Adams mystery The Busy Woman’s Guide to
Murder won the Romantic Times Award for Best Amateur Sleuth. You busy
people will enjoy the time management tips at the beginning of each
chapter. If Charlotte Adams could cook,
this would be the cake for her: fast, easy, no fuss.
Mary Jane is also one half of Victoria Abbott and
with her
daughter, Victoria Maffini, writes the book collector mysteries.
The first in
the series, The Christie Curse is on the shelves now and The Sayers Swindle, will be
out in December. You can pre-order it
now. How’s that for saving time?
Visit MJ at www.maryjanemaffini.com
and Victoria Abbott at www.victoria-abbott.com
How easy is that? And I know it's delicious.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb. Looking forward to your visit to MLK in September (speaking of delicious).
DeleteThat looks lovely, and so simple! Don't you love it when things like that (the long-lost recipe coming home again) happen? Almost like it was meant to be--or "someone" wanted you to find it again.
ReplyDeleteI do love it, Sheila. It was meant to be - and I had tried about 10 different recipes for plum cakes during the decade long wait for the recipe to resurface.
ReplyDeleteMust thank "someone"!
Utter simplicity and, I'm sure, deliciousness.
ReplyDeleteNow, if only I could find the apple cake recipe from years ago that was referred to as "Apple Ernie".
Let me know if you do, Libby!
DeletePerfect time of year for plums, MJ/Victoria, and your cake is gorgeous, so easy and elegant, thanks for sharing the recipe (and the story). It's heartening when lost things are found again.
ReplyDelete~ Cleo
Thanks, Cleo! On FB Nancy suggested topping it with the coconut whipping 'cream' that you posted recently. I plan to do that.
DeleteI'm going to the store and buying some plums so that they will ripen for this cake! Looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Peg. By the way, thought you should know that your pancake has become a staple here when we have weekend guests!
DeleteWow. I love this cake, Mary Jane. It's beautiful. Right up my alley!
ReplyDelete~Krista
MJ, I will chuckle all day about your "relationship" with your convection oven. I wrestle with mine all the time:)
ReplyDeleteThe cake looks amazing! xo
Bought three plums today to make this. Have a friend in town coming for dinner Thursday night. I'm guessing you don't even have to peel the plums?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Krista!
ReplyDeleteLucy: it's a complicated relationship and I confess I still see the other oven on the side.
Peg: No need to peel the plums. Just slice 'em!
XO, Ladies!