WSJ: PLUM POLENTA POUND CAKE

WSJ: PLUM POLENTA POUND CAKE image

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

PREPARED PLUMS: large plums, pitted and cut into 6-8 wedges each
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons cognac (or rum or any brandy)
CAKE:
Ingredients
½ pound unsalted butter, plus more for buttering loaf pan
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons cognac (or any brandy)
Prepared plums (recipe below)
Note: All ingredients should be at room temperature

Steps:

PREPARED PLUMS: Total Time:10 minutes In a medium saucepan, cook plums with sugar, salt, lemon zest and rosemary over medium heat until fruit is very soft but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cognac. CAKE: 1. Butter a 5½x10-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter paper. Set pan aside. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 3. Sift together flour, baking powder, cornmeal and salt. 4. Cream together butter, rosemary, lemon zest and sugar until very light and fluffy. 5. Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 6. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with cognac, just until well-combined. Spoon 2/3 of batter into pan. Evenly distribute one-quarter of prepared plums over batter. Add rest of the batter. Spread remaining fruit over the top and, using a spoon or fork, push pieces down a little. 7. Bake for 60 minutes or until done, testing with a toothpick after 50 minutes. Cake should be nicely brown, pulling away from the edges of the pan and not too dry. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto your hand or a rack and quickly re-invert it onto another rack. 8. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The cake is also delicious sliced and toasted.)