Plate expectations! This week: Honey spiced plum cake

With a few weeks until yom tov, I thought a honey-themed cake would be appreciated.

It freezes well, so make it this week for the forthcoming chagim.

You could serve this cake warm as an after dinner dessert or cold with a cup of tea or coffee.

Try substituting the plums with apples, pears or even fresh apricots. This is a very easy cake, so make double and keep one for another time.

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 240ml almond milk/ soya milk
• 180ml golden syrup
• 30g clear honey
• 125g margarine
• 100g muscovado sugar
• 400g plums – de-stoned and sliced
• 5 tablespoons plum/ apricot jam

Method

1. Line and grease a 23cm round cake tin with baking parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/ Gas Mark 3.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon and ginger into a large mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and milk together.
5. Warm the golden syrup, honey and margarine in a saucepan over a low heat.
6. Stir in the sugar and keep on a low heat until the margarine and sugar have melted together.
7. Remove, set aside and leave to cool.
8. Pour the warm syrup mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir well. Add the whisked egg mixture and stir to combine.
9. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and arrange sliced plums evenly
10. Bake for about an hour checking after 40 minutes. Cover with foil if the cake starts to burn.
11. Melt the jam either in the microwave for 1 minute or in a saucepan set over a medium heat and brush the cake liberally with it.

Preparation time: 25 mins – Cooking time: 1 hour – Serves: 8