Derby Day Plum Cake Recipes

DENESSE WILLEY'S FRESH PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease an 9-inch-by 13-inch baking pan. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Add 6 tablespoons cold butter and pulse until it is the consistency of corn meal. In a measuring cup, beat together the eggs and vanilla; add enough milk to make 1 cup. With the processor running, pour in milk mixture; a soft sticky dough will form. Scrape the dough into the pan, and with a greased spatula press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Press in the fruit, skin side down until it uniformly covers the dough. (Distribute the dough more evenly by pushing it with the fruit sections.) Sprinkle oatmeal over all. Distribute 1/2 cup sugar over the oatmeal. Sprinkle on spices. Dot with remaining 6 tablespoons cold butter.
• Bake about 25 minutes. Serve warm (but not hot) with ice cream for dessert. Refrigerate leftovers for breakfast.

DAKOTA STYLE PLUM CAKES (KUCHENS)

Steps:

• For the dough: Warm the milk until just warm to the touch (90 to 100 degrees F). Stir in the yeast and a pinch of the granulated sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Combine the flour, remaining granulated sugar and the kosher salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine. Separate 1 of the eggs and set aside the white for the egg wash. Whisk the egg yolk and remaining whole egg into the yeast mixture. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, then mix on low speed to make a smooth, thick dough. Increase the speed to medium and add the butter a piece at a time. Once all of the butter has been added, beat on high until smooth, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough until it forms a smooth, springy ball on the hook, 4 to 5 minutes (add a little more flour, if needed, if the dough doesn't form a ball). Grease a large bowl and turn the dough in the bowl to coat. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the custard: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cream, granulated sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, egg and yolk. Whisk it together and heat over medium heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and extract; stir until combined. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap. Let cool at room temp.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough in half, then cut each half into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, form the dough into balls by folding the dough under itself and pinching to seal underneath. Set the ball, smooth-side up, on a floured surface, and turn in your hand to form a tight round shape. Divide the 12 buns among the lined baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Once the buns have risen, gently press down on each to make indentations that will make space for the custard. Fill the indentations with the custard. Top with the plums. Brush the buns with the reserved egg white mixed with a splash of water and sprinkle with demerera sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and flakey salt. Bake, rotating the trays from top to bottom halfway through, until the buns are risen and golden and the custard is set, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

DERBYSHIRE FRUIT LOAF

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit and the sugar into a mixing bowl, add the hot tea and leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Spray and line a 7 inch cake pan or a loaf pan.
• Stir the egg, flour, spices and the marmalade into the fruit, sugar and tea mixture. Pour into the cake pan or the loaf pan.
• Bake for 1 1/2 -2 hours until firm to the touch or until a skewer pushed into the cake comes out clean. Do not open the oven during the first hour of baking time.

DRIED PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour a 11x9-inch pan.
• Blend sugar and canola oil together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add eggs, flour, prunes, allspice, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add buttermilk, pecans, and vanilla extract and combine. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• While cake is baking, mix buttermilk, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Pour glaze over cake when it comes out of the oven.
• Let glazed cake cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares.