SPONSORED: Plum skillet cake from The Great British Bake Off Cookbook
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Sponsored
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
SPONSORED: Plum skillet cake from The Great British Bake Off Cookbook
Stone fruit are so good with almonds, which have a mild and sweet nutty flavour. If you like, add some slightly more bitter almond extract to the cake mixture to accentuate the nutty notes. Serve this cake warm, straight from the pan with as much cream as you like
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Ingredients
- 110g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- 125g golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 100g plain flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 75ml buttermilk
- 6 large ripe, purple-skinned plums, halved, stone removed and each half cut into 4–5 wedges
- 50g flaked almonds
- vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche or softly whipped double cream, to serve
You will need
- 20cm (at the base) ovenproof skillet or cast-iron pan, greased (base and sides)
Step by step
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.
- Beat 100g of the butter, the 125g of caster sugar and the vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the beater, on medium speed for 3–5 minutes, scraping down the inside of the bowl from time to time, until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix again to combine. Finally, add the buttermilk and mix until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the greased skillet or pan and spread it level.
- Arrange the plums in tightly packed concentric circles on top of the cake mixture. Dot with the remaining 10g of butter and scatter with the flaked almonds and the 1 tablespoon of caster sugar.
- Bake the cake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes, until it is golden and risen, and the plums are juicy and caramelised at the edges. Leave the cake to cool for 2 minutes, then serve in hearty spoonfuls with scoops of vanilla ice cream, or spoonfuls of crème fraîche or softly whipped double cream.
