My Fancy New Kitchen & Plum Cake Dad, really?!

So as I mentioned, my family came to visit me recently right before my kitchen remodel was finished, and from the moment they got here, my Dad was going on about Plum Cake. That was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing, but he was insisting that my Mom used to make it all the time. This would probably be a good time to admit the fact that, my mother does not like to cook. Surprising, I know, but my parents own restaurants, so she has never really had to cook. Since I've never seen a boxed Plum Cake, I was skeptical that my Mom had ever actually made such a thing. My Dad explained that they used to make a boxed Plum Cake and she would bake that and Spice Cake. I definitely remember loving her Spice Cake, but the Plum Cake is still debatable. Anyhow, my Dad had found a Plum Cake recipe in the local newspaper along with a bag of black plums and we got to work. At first, it sounded weird to me, but after I thought about it, plums are similar to peaches which are in all kinds of delicious desserts. I was a little concerned that the tart skin might not be so appealing, but it actually turned out to be a super moist and flavorful cake without being overly sweet. The skin actually added a beautiful color to the cake as well, so needless to say, I was delighted with the final result. Good call Dad! :)

Now, about the kitchen...I love it!! My sweet husband worked so hard to get it done as soon as possible because he knew how much I would miss it, but I don't think he realized how much he would miss my cooking until we were eating out every night. As you can see, we upgraded the counter tops, added a back splash, got a new microwave, a new sink & faucet and repainted all of the kitchen cabinets. I'll admit it was kind of a pain in the ass even though Jimmy did most of the work, but just dealing with the mess was a hassle in itself. Thankfully, it turned out to be totally worth it because I think it looks absolutely beautiful. I may just have to make his favorite meal in heels and something cute to repay him! ;)

Plum Cake Recipe:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
about 7 black plums, cut off the ends of each (like the piece in the pic) then pit, peel & chop the rest
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients with the butter mixture. Take the peeled & chopped plum flesh and fold it into the batter. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Arrange plum butts cut side down on top of the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Note that the plum butts will sink into the cake, that's supposed to happen. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cool for 30 more minutes, then dust with the powdered sugar and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from San Antonio Express Newpaper

My favorite taste testers and biggest fans!