Recipe: Plum, Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake

Plums bring a bright sharpness to baking that feels perfect for the shift into Autumn. This plum hazelnut and chocolate cake balances sweet and sour fruity and nutty rich and fresh all at once. The plums soften into little pools of juice as they bake and the hazelnuts add a lovely depth and crunch.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 50g plum chopped

• 40g chocolate chopped

• 30g hazelnuts chopped

• 120g butter

• 120g caster sugar

• 120g self raising flour

• 2 tbsp milk

• 2 eggs

For the topping

• 10g hazelnuts chopped

• One and a half plums finely sliced

• 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line a 20 cm round tin. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour then fold in the remaining flour along with the chopped plum chocolate and hazelnuts.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Arrange the plum slices over the top and scatter with the chopped hazelnuts and demerara sugar. Bake for about 45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool before slicing.

A Seasonal Note

This cake belongs to Mabon the Celtic season of harvest balance and gentle change. Plums are at their best now full of vivid colour and sharp sweetness while hazelnuts bring earthy richness. Together they create a cake that reflects the feeling of early Autumn abundant vibrant and deeply satisfying.