Plum and almond cake (gluten-free)

Ready in 1 hour 20 minutes Serves 10-12

180g butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 2 spray-free lemons, finely

grated

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups ground almonds

¾ cup GF flour

1 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt

9 large plums or 6 sanguine peaches, halved and de-stoned

1 Tbsp amaretto liqueur (optional)

2 Tbsp icing sugar, to garnish

Preheat your oven to 160C fan bake. Line the base of a 24-25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with a little butter.

Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla. Gently stir in the yoghurt, add ground almonds and stir until evenly combined.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin. Spread it out evenly, smoothing the top, then arrange the fruit on top, cut side up (don’t press them into the batter because they will completely sink).

Bake until cake is risen set and golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (about 1 hour 15 minutes). The fruit will sink into the cake a little as it cooks. Remove from the oven and brush over the amaretto if using. If you’re not planning to eat the cake that day, it can be covered and chilled in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for later use. Bring back to room temperature and dust with icing sugar to serve.

NOTE: The tartness of the plums in this fabulous cake offsets the sweetness of the cake batter perfectly. It’s also very good made with apricots.

Match this with ... Garage Project Dry Haze Black Doris Plum Sour 750ml ($30)

Occasionally people will say that my drinks reviews are a load of old C and B, to which I reply, “Well two of my favourite things are cake and beer, so you can rack off, you losing Lotto ticket.” Then I gaze at the rich crimson colour of this plum-packed beverage next to a chunky slice of Annabel’s cake and marvel at their perfectness. With its Bill Carden-Horton label design and crafted from Central Otago black doris plums fermented with GP’s own house yeast culture, this blend of foeder and puncheon-aged beers is tart and salivatingly sour — and best served chilled. garageproject.co.nz