Plum Cake

Our plum tree decided to go on a sabbatical this year, but when I saw the plums at the fruit stand yesterday, I had to get some for this cake I hadn't made for along time. If I remember correctly, I got the recipe from a small, digest sized, magazine that came free to our house years ago. I think it was called Homemakers.

topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c butter 

cake:

• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• about 8 Italian plums, quartered or cut in half

glaze:

• ¾ cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Method:

1. In small bowl, stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon for topping. With pastry blender cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. 
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time and vanilla. 
4. Add combined dry ingredients alternately with milk. 
5. Spread batter into greased and floured 10 inch spring-form pan. 
6. Arrange plums, cut side up, on top of batter.
7. Sprinkle evenly with topping.
8. Bake at 350° F. about 50 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove rim of pan. 
10. Mix glaze and drizzle over cake.

(If you line the greased pan with wax paper and grease again, you can slide the cake onto a serving plate. Otherwise just leave the cake on the plate of the baking pan and place that on a serving plate once it’s cooled.)