let them eat cake

There's a bit of a 'bake off' going on over at Meet Me At Mike's blog ... it seems Pip's little man is a fan of the old Rich Chocolate Mudcake.  So if you're in the market for a really good chocolate cake recipe, take your pick from the comments at the end of this post-                             

{ CHOCOLATE CAKE } 

there are so many chocolate cake recipes being posted there,

I just had to shake things up a bit with this family favourite...

Old fashioned German Plum Cake

(pears are good too at this time of year)

German Plum Cake image found via the super thisisloveforever

                              1/2 cup of butter (nutelex works too)

                              1 cup sugar

                              2 eggs

                              1 cup flour

                              2 tsp baking powder

                              10 plums (halved and stoned)

                              cinnamon & extra sugar OR icing sugar

1.Grease and flour a round (or traditionally ring) tin

2.Put butter, sugar & one egg in a bowl 

   and stir 'briskly' till thoroughly mixed. 

3.Add second egg and beat mixture with a wooden spoon until light. 

4.Add baking powder and flour and mix well. 

5.Spread mixture in tin. arrange fruit on top. 

Nb. At this point you can-

a)  sprinkle top with a half cup sugar mixed with 2 tsps of cinnamon                                                       OR/as I prefer

b) bake, cool, turn out tin and sprinkle top with sifted icing sugar   

...EITHER WAY...

5.Bake at 200c for 30mins or until crumbs come away from skewer 

   when spiked...   this cake should be moist inside & hard outside

Serve with thick pure cream for afternoon tea or dessert

( or/ as the germans do, have a slice for breakfast 

with a freshly brewed pot of strong black coffee ) 

...though in this house, there's usually only the crumbs left by then... 

As for chocolate cake...

I use the 'Simplicity Chocolate Cake' recipe 

to be found via this delightful cookbook.

(and substitute sour cream for milk to make it super moist)

originally published in the 1970s edition of the NMAA cookbook, 

which my mother purchased when she was preganant with me, 

this has been our standard family chocolate cake recipe all my life

       und so.... GUTEN APPETIT xox