A taste of Sicilian sunshine
Sicily draws admirers to its seas, sands and sites; Risa took the job seriously. She booked a villa, fully staffed, and stocked it with friends. They gazed at ruins, crept through caves, focused on the feast.
Risa came back with snapshots, with sighs and a single recipe. Puzzling through the prim cursive and odd metrics, she melted and packed and smoothed. Her cake glistened plum-black and tasted of Sicilian sunshine.
Plum Cake
Makes 12 servings (one low 10-inch cake) 6 to 8 plums (tart, firm, almost-ripe)
1 1⁄4 cups plus 1 cup sugar 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 1⁄2 cup water
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 3 or 4 chunks 3 large eggs
Prep: 30 minutes; bake: 40 minutes
1. Prep: Halve plums along their cleft lines. Pull out stones. Set a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat oven to 350 F.
2. Caramelize: Measure 1 1/4 cups sugar into a heavy 9- or 10-inch skillet, preferably castiron. Stir in salt and water (no more stirring). Set skillet over medium-high heat. In about nine minutes, sugar will begin to colour. Tilt pan, swirling sugar to an even medium-brown. Pull off heat. Set plum halves, cut-sides down, into the caramel.
3. Buzz: Measure remaining 1 cup sugar, the flour and baking powder into the food processor. Buzz to combine. Drop in butter. Process until crumbly, about 20 seconds. Slide in eggs, and process until batter comes together, about 10 seconds.
4. Bake: Drop mounds of batter onto the plums. Using an offset spatula, spread evenly. Set skillet on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and springy, 40 to 42 minutes.
5. Flip: Let cool, 10 minutes. Run the spatula around the edge of the pan. Set a serving platter upside down over skillet. Using mitts, hold platter and skillet together and invert, landing cake on platter. Lift away skillet. Enjoy warm or room temperature.