HAZELNUT PLUM CAKE

Hazelnut Plum Cake image

Yield One 8-inch round cake

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts or natural almonds (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium plums (about 1/2 pound), sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
confectioners sugar for sifting over cake
Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425°F. and butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a small saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and cool. Stir in vanilla. In a food processor blend together nuts, brown sugar, and flour until nuts are ground fine.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with salt until they hold stiff peaks and fold in nut mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold in butter mixture (batter will deflate) and spread batter in prepared pan.
Arrange plum slices evenly over batter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake cake in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Turn cake out onto rack and cool, plum side up, 5 minutes.
Sift confectioner's sugar onto cake and serve cake warm with ice cream.