I Said Plum

To kick off this year’s Eat Local Challenge, here’s a recipe for ginger plum cake that can be made from mostly local ingredients, if you’re so inclined.  I used prune plums from Autumn Hills Orchard and ginger from a plant my father-in-law gave me, which he propagated from regular supermarket ginger, don’t ask me how.  He gave me that plant way back in June and I was sure I would kill it, but somehow I didn’t, even though I killed half of my herbs, including the mint.  (Yes, that’s right, I can kill mint—a very useful skill if you ask me.)

Unlike last year with the apple cake, I’m not going to insist that you use a cast iron pan.  A regular cake pan will suffice.  I’m trying to be a bit more flexible these days, like that time over the summer when Husband came home from the store with 500 bags of chip-like snacks, and I blurted out, “Jesus Christ, I’m not even in the grave, yet!”

Flexible, indeed.

Ginger Plum Cake

 Any extra plums that don’t fit in your carefully crafted concentric circles can be peeled, chopped, and added to the cake batter.

Topping

¼ cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar (or maple sugar or syrup)

2 cups thinly sliced plums (or 1 pint prune plums)

 

Cake

1 cup flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar (or maple sugar)

1 egg

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 375°F.  For the topping, melt ¼ cup butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in brown sugar and pour into a 9-inch cake pan.  Arrange sliced plums in a circular pattern on top. 

For the cake, sift flour and baking powder together in medium bowl.  With a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar.  Add egg, ginger, and vanilla until well blended.  Gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the milk and mix until just blended.  Pour over the plums and spread evenly.

Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.  Loosen edges with narrow spatula.  Set a serving plate upside down on top of cake and flip them so the cake inverts onto the plate.  Serve with vanilla or buttermilk ice cream if desired.

 

Local Sources:

Butter: Cabot, Cabot, VT

Maple sugar: Highland Sugarworks, Websterville, VT

Plums: Autumn Hills Orchard, Groton, MA

Egg: Chip-In Farm, Bedford, MA

Ginger: Backyard

Milk: Our Family Farms of Western Massachusetts, MA

Comments

[Jeena]

1. I can't believe you're doing the Eat Local Challenge this year after everything you've been through. You freaking RULE.
2. I also kill mint!! It's nice to not be alone anymore.
3. This looks ah-mazing. Looking forward to trying it out!

[Amy]

Well, wouldn't you know it - I just bought ingredients to make a plum cake featured in Everyday Food. But, yours sounds better.

I think Martha just got bumped by you.

[andrea]

Umm...killing mint isn't so much of a skill as a SUPERPOWER!

[Astrid]

What a great blog to read! The cake looks awesome. I am originally from New England, so seeing food from MA and VT makes me happy. Thank you for this!

[aimee]

you still have plums? In October? Nice

[jo]

I spent quite a bit of time in Asian markets over the summer picking up ingredients for various classes and several times I was amazed to see ginger with really big protrusions out the side of the rot read to be popped in the ground. I resisted the temptation, but I really would like to try just once to grow it.
Have been craving plum cake to use with Italian prune plums I've been seeing everywhere. I am on it! Thanks.

[MidLifeMama]

This sounds fabulous. Will be trying it out...soonish.

[Suzanne]

forget the cake, I'd just eat the topping!

[Kate]

If you or Jeena are ever in Ohio, I could use your superhero powers (mint slaughter) as in what was surely a drunk moment, I thought it would be a good idea to over-winter our mint in the garden. In return, I will woo you (in a non-romantic way) with something made with fresh butter. Deal?

[cookiecrumb]

I miss your dad. He always left such acerbic, yet dadly, comments. Science-y too.
Ginger PLANT? Oh, pleeze find out how.
Love you, tam.

[adele]

I think this was the cake recipe I was trying to achieve a few weeks ago. Now I no longer need to keep trying. (My to-do list thanks you.)

[Joumana]

Wonderful! I love plums and would love to eat a slice of that cake!

[Tammy]

Joumana: Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll try it.

adele: Let me know if I can help with any other delicious items on your list!

CC: I know, I miss him, too. I'll lobby to get him back.

Kate: It's a deal. I have a friend I've been meaning to visit in Columbus.

Suzanne: The topping is the best part!

MidLifeMama: Let me know how it turns out.

jo: Definitely try it. I (meaning Husband) just brought the ginger plant inside before frost threatens to kill it. It really thrived this summer, and I hope it lives to see another.

aimee: Just the beginning of October. Now we're down to just apples, raspberries, Concord grapes, and cranberries.

Astrid: You're welcome. Anytime!

andrea: I know! And I thought I had nothing to contribute to society, gardening-wise.

Amy: This may be the first and only time I've ever bumped Martha, so I'm going to take a moment to bask in the glow.

Jeena: Well, I'm not exactly doing the Eat Local Challenge by the rules. For example, I'm not doing it for every meal, just when I feel like it, with what I have around. But it never was about the rules anyway. It's about the food, and I'm always behind that.