Plummy Rum Blackberry Buckle

When stone fruits are in season, I can’t help buying them in bulk. The problem is that they don’t last very long. Even at the rapid rate I gobble them, I can never finish all of the purchased peaches or plums. The solution? Bake with them, of course. This “buckle” cake is delicious either as a dessert with ice cream or whipped cream, or with coffee for breakfast.

Plummy Rum Blackberry Buckle (try to say that 3 times fast…)

Modified from a Bon Appetit recipe

• 1/2 cup whole, unpeeled almonds
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 oz. dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (dried)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 medium, ripe plums (halved, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices)
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a round, 10-inch-diameter cake pan with cooking spray. A springform pan would work, too. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Grind the almonds in a food processor. Mix the ground almonds in a medium bowl with flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl. Add 1 cup white sugar and the brown sugar to the butter mixture; beat until well blended. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each, and then add rum, vanilla, almond extract, ginger, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture and stir until incorporated.

Transfer the batter to the pan and spread it evenly. Press the plum slices, flesh side down, and the blackberries into the batter (pretty patterns are encouraged). The cake rises quite a bit, so do not overfill the pan. Sprinkle the 2 reserved tablespoons of sugar over the top of the cake. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. The fruit will sink into the cake and the dough will “buckle” around it (hence the name). Let cool and serve in wedges.