Da Cipriano Taste Journal · Autumn Baking
Autumn Plum & Pistachio Cake
with Vanilla & Cinnamon
A soft, buttery autumn cake topped with juicy plums, fragrant vanilla, a touch of cinnamon and crunchy pistachios. Simple, rustic and perfect for those first cooler days of the season.
How to Make It
1 · Prepare the Tin
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Generously grease a 30 cm loaf tin with butter, then dust it with flour. Turn and gently tap the tin so the flour coats the base and sides evenly, then tap out any excess flour.
2 · Make the Batter
Beat the softened butter, sugar and salt together until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine the flour, ground almonds and baking powder, then gently fold them into the butter mixture.
Add the good-quality vanilla and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, mixing only until everything is combined.
3 · Add the Plums
Wash, halve and stone the plums.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin and smooth the surface.
Arrange the plum halves generously over the top of the cake, gently pressing them into the batter.
4 · The Cipriano Twist
Scatter the chopped pistachios generously over the plums and finish with a light sprinkling of sugar.
As the cake bakes, the plums soften and release their juices, while the pistachios become beautifully toasted.
5 · Bake
Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 65–70 minutes.
Check the cake towards the end of the baking time by inserting a wooden skewer into the centre.
The skewer test: The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin before transferring it to a wire rack.
To Serve
Once completely cooled, finish the cake with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a few extra chopped pistachios if desired.
Serve at room temperature simply as it is, or with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream or crème fraîche.
The combination of juicy plums, warm vanilla and cinnamon, and crunchy pistachios makes this a wonderfully simple cake for an autumn afternoon.
