Gluten free plum and almond cake

This is another variation of my almond cake and you can also use apples, pears, damsons or whatever fruit you fancy.

Ingredients

150g butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp almond essence

75g gluten free self raising flour (I use Doves Farm or I think it may be called Freee foods now)

75g ground almonds

Topping

8 plums, halved 

25g butter 

1 heaped tablespoon soft brown sugar

or 

3 medium apples, peeled, cores removed and cut into slices 

25g butter

1 heaped tablespoon soft brown sugar

or 

3 medium pears, peeled, cores removed and cut into wedges lengthways

25g butter

1 heaped tablespoon soft brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170c/gas mark 3 

2. Grease a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.

3.Melt the butter over a medium heat until melted and then add in the sugar stirring until the sugar has melted and is bubbling.

4. Add in the plum halves (or apples or pears) and cook turning them occasionally until they are soft but still holding their shape, the butter, sugar mix should be nice and caramelised also by then. Set aside until needed.

5. Put butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric whisk or with a freestanding mixer with the paddle blade, until pale and fluffy.

5. Break in one egg and whisk well adding a spoonful of flour if it starts to curdle.

7. Crack in the second egg and a spoonful of flour and whisk again.

8. Add the ground almonds, almond extract and whisk until blended, then add in the flour and give it a final mix.

9. The mix is quite stiff but spoon into the tin and spread out.

10. Top the frangipani mix with the cooked plums (or apples or pears) and buttery syrup.

11. Bake in the oven for 45-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

12. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

13. Carefully push out of the tin and slide off the base onto a serving plate.

14. Dust with icing sugar or drizzle with icing if desired.

15. Works really well as a pudding warm or served as a cake.