This post reminds me of my favourite time of the year..Summer! I adore everything about Summer. But what sets it apart from the other seasons for me, is the abundant choices it brings along when it comes to fruits and vegetables. I’m far from Summer at the moment…quite the opposite to be precise but the last I remember of Summer was filling up my baskets with loads of sweet, luscious stone fruits at the markets and biting into them as soon as I reached home.
Plums are still available here though its winter (I spotted them at Coles yesterday) but I like to buy them in season. So this is one of those recipes I promised I would pull out from my reserves for my friends in the northern hemisphere. I actually have quite a few Summer recipes that are yet to be posted. A small consolation I guess, as we get past the colder months.
This is a lovely tray-bake cake. Easy to make yet combining the best of two worlds. A baked cheesecake and a regular moist cake with fruit in it. There are multiple textures that come to play as you take a mouthful. The plums can be replaced with any other stone fruit or even berries. The cake tastes best when warm with a custard or whipped cream on the side.
Plum Cream Cheese Swirl Cake (Adapted with variation from Delicious Magazine, March 2012)
Serves 10
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (55g) castor sugar
4 eggs
175g softened unsalted butter
175g brown sugar (about 7/8th of a cup)
200g self-raising flour, sifted (about 2 cups)
400g plums, seeds removed, sliced
Icing sugar, to dust
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line an 18cm x 28cm lamington (rectangular) pan.
Add cream cheese, vanilla, castor sugar and 1 egg to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
Place butter, brown sugar, flour and remaining 3 eggs in a clean bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Spread half the flour mixture in the tray followed by half the cream cheese mixture, swirling to gently combine, then top with half the plums. Top with remaining flour mixture, cream cheese mixture and plums. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden.
Dust with icing sugar, slice and serve warm with a custard or whipped cream.
Ohhh!!! I love the color and vibrancy. Yes please with whipped cream and why not with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
Having plums in fridge, this recipe tempting me to cook:)
Love tray bakes! They are so versatile and easy, and always so good! Our plums haven’t made it in yet, well we have some from California but I like them in the summer months, but once they do, I’ll remember this! Hope you and the boys are doing well. hugs and kisses xx
we are so happy you think of posting summer recipes for all of us…this soft cake looks like an edible jewel…studded with those lovely ruby red plums,gorgeous,thanks 🙂
This cake was artfully food styled and photographed…plus, it looks super delish! It is a summer must-have for sure.
Well thank you form a northern hemisphere friend! The cake looks awesome, love the chunkiness of it and all the flavors. Just have to wait for plum to be in season!
What a gorgeous cake Sonali! I love that vibrant, luscious plum ribbon throughout the cheesecake batter. Such a great combination. I am the same when it comes to fruit, I like to buy seasonally. I can’t believe you waited so long to post this gorgeousness… I would’ve wanted to put it up straight away! Gorgeous styling. I am glad that our Northern Hemisphere friends will get to benefit from their glut of Summer fruit in this beautiful tray bake xx
What a beautiful turnout! I love the way that it’s chunky! It’s so tempting (drools)!
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
I never appreciated summer enough as a kid. I liked it for obvious reasons but I was not into the heat. Now that I’m an adult, I’m all about warm weather and enjoying fresh fruit and produce in general. I love a tray bake cake, especially when it is as pretty and enticing as this one.
I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work
and reporting! Keep up the very good works guys I’ve added
you guys to my blogroll.