This cake has a soft, yeasty base, juicy damsons and is finished with a crunchy spiced topping.
Photo: Simon Lambert
Damson cake
Serves 12
Ingredients
Dough and plum topping
225g flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
¾ cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 Tbsp melted butter, cooled to room temperature
pinch of salt
grated zest of one lemon
700g damson, pitted and halved
Streusel topping
50g almonds or hazelnuts
70g flour
70g brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g butter, cubed, cold
Method
Heat the oven to 180degC.
Grease a 23cm springform pan.
Begin by mixing the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and yeast together. Add the warmed milk and mix to form a wet batter. Leave to prove in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Add the egg yolk, warm butter and salt. Knead everything together to form a sticky dough. Cover and let prove in a warm place for at least 45 minutes or until doubled.
While the dough is rising, make the streusel topping. Put the almonds, flour, brown and white sugars, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts are broken up. Add the butter and salt and process until the mixture becomes coarse and crumb-like in texture.
Use your fingers to smooth the dough across the bottom of the pan and form a 2cm rim up the sides.
Place rounds of damsons over the dough, pushing them close together.
Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the damsons.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the streusel topping is golden.
Cool slightly before eating.
