Yellow plum almond cake

I've been at home with a migraine for a couple of days after a long day travelling to Belfast and back for work. I decided I needed some baking therapy to try and soothe my headache! A punnet of shiny golden plums led me to try making an almondy cake made with plum purée and decorated with sliced plums. What better comfort food?

Ingredients

1lb yellow plums         

3 eggs

5oz margarine

5oz golden caster sugar

5oz ground almonds

1tsp almond essence

6oz self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 9 inch round cake tin.
2. Set aside 3 plums.  Stone and quarter the rest of the plums and purée them in a blender.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
4. In a separate, large mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, plum purée, ground almond and almond essence, and beat well.
6. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix until smooth.
7. Pour the cake batter into the greased cake tin.
8. Stone and slice the remaining 3 plums, and arrange on top of the cake batter in concentric circles.
9. Sprinkle a spoonful of caster sugar over the top, and place in the oven to bake for 40 mins or until a cake tester comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 mins in the tin before transferring to a wire rack.