Name: Plum cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: butter for greasing; 2 tbsp demerara sugar; 500g plum; 175g butter; 175g dark muscovado sugar; 140g golden syrup; 2 eggs beaten; 200ml milk; 300g self-raising flour; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 1 tsp mixed spice

Serve this hearty fruit sponge with a dollop of something creamy- it would also work with raspberries instead of plums

Ingredients

butter for greasing

2 tbsp demerara sugar

500g plum

175g butter

175g dark muscovado sugar

140g golden syrup

2 eggs beaten

200ml milk

300g self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

Instructions

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment. Butter the paper generously and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Halve the plums and arrange in the base of the tin in 1 layer, cut-sides down.

2 For the cake, melt the butter, muscovado sugar and syrup in a large pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool for 10 mins, then stir in the eggs and milk. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then mix to a smooth batter.

3 Pour the batter into the tin, over the plums, and bake for 45-55 mins until firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. Will keep in the fridge, wrapped in baking parchment and foil, for up to 5 days.