Santa Rosa Plum Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange 2 racks equally spaced in the oven. Place six (6 1/2-inch) individual gratin dishes on 2 sheet pans.
• In a small bowl, combine the vanilla seeds with the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Butter the six gratin dishes well with the butter and sprinkle the dishes with the vanilla and sugar mixture. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and the 2/3 cup sugar on medium speed, until blended. Lower the speed and add the flour, cream, milk, and Armagnac. Whisk in the star anise and salt just until combined and set aside for 10 minutes. The batter will look like pancake batter.
• Cut the plums in half through the stem, discard the pits, and cut each half in wedges, again cutting through the stem. Distribute half a plum to each gratin dish, placing them in a pinwheel pattern. Distribute the batter evenly in the gratins (the plums will only be half immersed in the batter) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the custard is just set.
• Sprinkle with the orange zest and serve hot or warm.

Steps:

• To prepare dough, in a food processor, combine flours, sugar and salt and pulse a few times. Add butter and cream cheese. Process until mixture just comes together. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a disk, wrap it well and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece between sheets of plastic wrap into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (about 6 inches in diameter). Place pastry rounds on one or two baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Chill rounds while preparing filling.
• For filling, in a food processor, combine almonds with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pulse until mixture becomes a fine meal (avoid over-processing). Add butter, 2 eggs, flour, vanilla and salt and process until combined.
• In a bowl, beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush this egg wash over prepared pastry rounds. Spoon about 2 tablespoons almond filling in center of each pastry round and spread it to within 2 inches of the edge. Arrange plum slices in a spiral over filling. Sprinkle raw sugar generously over plums. Fold edges of tart dough up over edges of plums. Dough will overlap.
• Bake tarts until pastry is golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with whipped creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat egg whites until; stiff and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar.
• Beat in egg yolks and lemon rind.
• Stir together flour and baking powder and then beat into creamed mixture.
• Fold in egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Spread batter evenly in a greased and floured tube pan. ( There will be a little over 1-inch of batter in pan.)
• Arrange plums skin side down, attractively over batter.
• Bake cake in a 375F oven for 40 minutes, or until it tests done with a toothpick.
• Transfer to a rack to cool.

Steps:

• Combine plums, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon sticks in large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over low heat until plums are very tender and compote thickens, stirring often and adding 1/3 cup sugar if desired, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely. Transfer compote to bowl, discarding pits, vanilla bean, and cinnamon sticks. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.