Plum and coconut cake recipe

This lovely moist and fruity cake is great with a cup of coffee, or even served warm as a dessert with cream, custard or ice cream. Use firm but ripe, seasonal plums such as Victoria, when available, for the best flavour. Or, top the cake mixture with any of your favourite fruits such as sliced peaches or nectarines, slices of apple or strawberries, raspberries or blueberries. Soured cream gives a rich flavour, but if you don’t have it use double cream instead.

Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened
• 125g golden caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 200g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 75g desiccated coconut
• 1½tsp ground cinnamon
• 100ml soured cream
• 300g plums
• 2tbsp granulated sugar
• Knob of butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Line a 20 cm shallow square tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
2. Gradually beat in the eggs then stir in the vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, coconut, cinnamon and soured cream until smooth.
3. Spread the cake mixture into the tin and smooth the top. Cut the plums in half and discard the stones
4. Arrange the plums in rows on top of the cake mixture and bake for 35 to 40 mins until golden brown and just firm to the touch.