plum picture cake

Stone fruit is still in abundance.  Here is a quick, delicous and beautiful cake I absolutely loved as a kid when my mom would bake it.  I relish the sweet and tart combination of plums.  They had beautiful Italian prunes at the local farm stand so I used those, but you can use any kind of medium plum or pluots too (never tried apricots but might be great as well).  You're looking for flavor over water content, you want then to get jammy when baked not watery.  

A beautiful assortment of Italian prunes and pluots.  

Plum Picture Cake - oldie from Sunset magazine

preheat oven to 375

1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs (at room temperature)

1/2 rsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

6-8 plums (or other stone fruit - pitted & sliced in half)

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time and mix well between each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Stir in flour until well mixed. Spread in an 11 inch buttered and floured pan.  Gently push halved plums into cake batter, just enough to stay in place. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.  Once cooled, place on serving dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve with whipped cream.