Plum sponge cake with marzipan crumble

Name: Plum sponge cake with marzipan crumble
Ingredients: 120 g softened butter; 100 g sugar; 4 eggs; 75 ml condensed milk or milk; 175 g flour (150 g without the egg whites); 1 tablespoon baking powder; 2 egg whites (optional); 1/8 teaspoon salt; 500 g pitted plums; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 120 g marzipan; 100 g cold butter; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 100 g flour

Dessert - Plum sponge cake with marzipan crumble by Carmen G. - Recipia

The plums soften as they bake, and the plum sponge cake with marzipan crumble develops a crumbly crust on top. The sponge stays soft under the marzipan topping, with cinnamon alongside the fruit; I added the egg whites left over from another cake, and I like serving a slice with honey when I want it a little sweeter. Preparation: 25 minutes. Cooking: 50 minutes. Resting: 60 minutes. Total time: 135 minutes. Servings: 10. Approximately 440 kcal and 8 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the sponge cake

120 g softened butter
100 g sugar
4 eggs
75 ml condensed milk or milk
175 g flour (150 g without the egg whites)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 egg whites (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the filling

500 g pitted plums
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the crumble

120 g marzipan
100 g cold butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
100 g flour

Preparation

1. Beat the softened butter with the sugar until creamy. Add the 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then pour in the condensed milk or milk. 2. Mix the flour with the baking powder and fold it into the batter. Use 175 g flour if adding the egg whites or 150 g if leaving them out. 3. Beat the 2 optional egg whites with the salt until frothy. Fold them in with a whisk, using upward strokes from the bottom of the bowl. 4. Spread the batter in a deep-sided pan lined with baking paper. Arrange the pitted plum halves on top and sprinkle with the cinnamon. 5. Pulse the marzipan in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the cold butter, cut into cubes, the brown sugar and the flour; pulse for a few seconds until you have crumbs. Sprinkle them evenly over the plums. 6. Bake at 170 °C for 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden. Leave the cake in the oven for another 10 minutes with the door ajar, then take out the pan and let it cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or bake it a day ahead. Serve a slice with black tea; if you want it a little sweeter, drizzle maple or agave syrup over the top. Firm, unbruised plums hold their shape better; if they are very juicy after cutting, pat them dry before arranging them on the batter. Choose halves of a similar size, and cut very large plums into quarters. I bake it in the morning when I’m serving it in the evening, so it has time to cool properly. The marzipan I used here was from Lidl, and milk can replace the condensed milk in the same quantity, with a less sweet result. Contains gluten, almonds, dairy and eggs.