Molasses cake with plums and lavender flowers

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 8 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 sachets vanilla sugar
• 4 tablespoons unrefined cane molasses
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons flour

For the cream

• 1 kg plums
• 15 ml rose water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 gelatin sheets
• 500 ml cold water
• 300 ml yogurt
• 200 ml whipping cream (30% fat)

For decorating

• wild blueberries

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 25 x 35 cm pan with oil and dust it with flour. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 1/8 teaspoon salt until stiff, then fold in the vanilla sugar and molasses. 2. Mix the egg yolks with the oil, pouring it in gradually, then add the vanilla extract and flour. Fold the mixture into the beaten egg whites, pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the sponge to cool for an hour. 3. Soak the gelatin sheets in 500 ml cold water. Wash the plums, cut them in half and put them in a saucepan with the rose water, sugar, lavender and cinnamon. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the plums soften. 4. Remove the pan from the heat, drain the gelatin sheets and stir them into the hot plums until dissolved. Leave the mixture to cool for 20 minutes, then add the yogurt and blend until smooth. 5. Whip the cream until it holds its shape on the whisk, then fold it into the plum purée. Pour the cream over the sponge and chill the cake for 4 hours, until set. Decorate with wild blueberries.