DAMSON CAKE

This cake has an interesting twist as it has a soft, yeasty base and the juicy damsons seep into it and then finished with a crunchy spiced topping.

Serves 12

Ingredients

Dough and plum topping

225g flour

2 tsp active dry yeast

¾ cup milk,

3 Tbsp sugar

1 large egg yolk

3 Tbsp melted butter, cooled to room temperature

pinch of salt

grated zest of one lemon

700g Damson, pitted and halved

Streusel Topping

50g almonds or hazelnuts

70g flour

70g brown sugar

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

50g butter, cubed, cold

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C

Grease a 23cm springform pan.

Begin by mixing the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and yeast together, add the warmed milk and mix together to form a wet batter. Let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Add the egg yolk, warm butter and salt. Knead everything together to form a sticky dough. Cover and let prove in a warm place for at least 45 minutes or until doubled.

Whilst the dough is rising, make the streusel topping. Put the almonds, flour, brown and white sugars, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts  are broken up. Add the butter and salt and process until the mixture becomes coarse and crumb like in texture.

Use your fingers to smooth the dough across the bottom of the pan and about 2 cm rim up the sides.

Place rounds of damsons over the dough, pushing them close together.

Sprinkle over the streusel mixture over the damsons.

Bake the tart for 35-40 minutes or until the streusel topping is golden.

Cool slightly before eating.