Damson upside-down pudding

This is an exquisite way of using damsons to make a dessert.  The damsons produce a rich plummy flavour and a top that is lovely and juicy.  The sponge finished the dish perfectly.

Preparation Time: 25 Mins

Cooking Time: 55 Mins

Total Time: 2 Hrs

Ingredients

For 8 servings…

140 gms           Butter       

150 gms           Sugar  - Demerara    

15                  Damsons  - halved and stoned  

125 gms           Flour  - self-raising   

2 tsp               Baking powder         

½ tsp              Cinnamon  - ground  

85 gms            Sugar  - caster        

2                    Eggs         

½ tsp              Vanilla essence        

¼ tsp              Almond essence       

125 ml             Milk          

40 gms            Almonds  - ground    

¼ tsp              Salt          

To serve

                     Crème fraîche          

Method

Heat an oven to 180°C.

To prepare a cake tin…

Place 55 gms of the butter in a 23 cm cake tin.  Place this in the oven and leave it until the butter has melted.  Remove the cake tin and swirl the butter around so it is distributed evenly.  Sprinkle on the demerara sugar and lay the damsons on top of the sugar in a single, tightly-packed layer, skin-side up.

To make the sponge…

Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

Beat the remaining butter in a large bowl until light, then add the caster sugar and beat until creamy.  Add the eggs, beat until light and fluffy and then beat in the vanilla and almond extract.

Add the milk and the remaining dry ingredients to the mixture and mix until just blended.

To construct and cook the pudding…

Spoon the batter evenly over the damsons.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the pudding comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.

Using a knife, cut around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Place a plate on top of the cake pan then invert the cake.  Let it stand with the pan still on for 5 minutes, then gently lift off the cake tin.  Serve the cake warm with crème fraîche.

Wine recommendations

Either a very sweet wine or a plum liqueur.

Conventional

     Monbazillac

     Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise

Interesting

     Malmsey Madeira

     Vin doux naturel

Adventurous

     Slivovitz