Plum Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

13 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup light soft brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup heavy cream
9 oz plums, halved and stones removed
3-4 tbsp egg nog liqueur or cream liqueur (optional)
None None powdered sugar, to dust

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375\u00b0F. Grease and line the base of an 8 inch round spring-form pan. Place the butter, brown sugar and sugar in a bowl and beat together until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs then add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Sift over the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and fold in with a metal spoon along with 5 tbsp of the cream.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and level the surface. Scatter over the plums. Bake for 30 mins then cover the top of the cake pan loosely with foil and bake for a further 20-30 mins until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 20 mins then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Softly whip the rest of the cream with the egg nog or cream liqueur, if desired. Serve the sliced cake, warm or cold, dusted with powdered sugar and with the whipped cream.