A friend gave me this recipe years ago and I use it every summer. The original recipe used black plums but I've made this with peaches and with apples. The cake is rich and easy to make. The recipe calls for using a springform pan, which is fine if you want to make a presentation cake, but if a homey cake is all you need, use a heavy, round cake pan. This cake is nice with a little dollop of whipped cream or, when it's still warm, with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. The bad part is that it takes an hour to bake, but I usually bake it early in the morning or while baking something else. Wrap it well and it will keep six months in the freezer. Here's the recipe:
Summer Cake
Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter and flour a 9" springform (or plain round cake) pan.
Cream: 1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
Add and beat until the consistency of tiny crumbs: 1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Add and beat: 2 eggs
Spoon into pan, spreading evenly.
Place cut side down on batter: 8-12 plums, halved.
Combine and sprinkle over plums: 3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Bake 1 hour. Serves 8-10
