PLUM POUND CAKE

8 medium firm-butripe plums

3 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground Chinese five-spice

CAKE

180 grams butter, at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract with star anise or plain vanilla

3 eggs, size 7, lightly beaten

1¾ cups plain flour ½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

TO SERVE

icing sugar and lemon juice

EQUIPMENT: Grease an 8-cup capacity loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. My tin is 25cm x 13cm and 7½cm deep.

Preheat the oven to 150°C fan bake.

Halve and stone the plums. Cut each half into 3 wedges and set aside. Combine the sugar and spices in a bowl and set aside.

CAKE: Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and light. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding in a tablespoon of the flour if they start to curdle.

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder and gently mix into the butter mixture. Don’t overbeat or the cake will be tough. Spread half of the batter in the base of the tin then scatter over half of the plums. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the top. Repeat with the remaining batter, plums and sugar.

Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil if it's getting too brown. Cool completely before removing from the tin.

TO SERVE: Dust with icing sugar or drizzle with a glaze made by mixing ½ cup icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a smooth, thick but pourable icing. MAKES 1 LOAF