Ingredients

The following ingredients have 12 Servings
  • 1/2 cup sunflower or other mild vegetable oil (plus more for the pan)
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for the pan)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour ((you can find this almost anywhere these days, even at Trader Joe's))
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1 cup sugar (plus 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 7 to 9 plums (any variety) (halved and pitted but not peeled)
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter (at room temperature)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Dust the pan with flour and tap out any excess.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, half-and-half (or milk, if using), lemon juice and zest, the 1 cup (8 ounces) sugar, and the almond extract until thoroughly combined. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk just until combined.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the plum halves, cut side up, atop the batter. In a bowl, combine the almonds, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and the butter and mix well. Dot the almond topping over the cake.
  • Bake the cake until the surface is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (If using an 8-inch pan, you may need to bake it longer, being careful to cover the outer edges of the cake with a strip of foil if they begin to brown.)
  • Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the ring from the pan and place the cake on a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve warm or, if you can wait, at room temperature.