Orchard Plum Dimple Cake w/ Cinnamon Whip [vegan]

It’s Monday evening, the sky is an overcast purple-grey, a warm mug of chamomile tea gently steeps away on my desk and I’m wearing thick knit socks. The air today was telling of the change of seasons. And much to my delight, I may add.  You’ve heard it said here before, but I’ll reiterate to those who may not yet know; I adore autumn and all it’s hygge goodness.

While Fall is technically still a week away, its lure has compelled me to start thinking ahead in preparation for winter. It has my mind on the garden foremost; the kale will grow well into November and  the Brussel Sprouts and cabbage will make an appearance over the course of October.  The second harvest of beets and carrots planted late August have already popped and will mature over the coming weeks…. I can taste the soups and stews now.  I”ll be pickling what leftover summer vegetables might remain by the end of the season, in particular, the overload of cucumbers we found ourselves with yet again.

And, while I sit here enjoying a succession of fall images in my mind, I remember there is still an abundance of summer around here.  While the season may start winding down for certain fruits and veggies, the plums are perfectly ripe this time of year. Although tart plums are great for baking, I find nothing better than the juicy ripe ones… especially because I ‘snack’ while I bake.

This recipe was one of the very first recipes I blogged about waaaay back in 2009 on my original blogger.com page. I’ve since adapted the recipe to be more suiting to my current tastes and it never fails to satisfy, chiefly with a nice cup of tea. Cardamom’s slightly resinous flavour pairs so beautifully with stone fruits (plums in particular), and while its flavour is noticeable here, it’s not overpowering in any way. The plums bake up so beautifully all nestled in a  spelt cake bed (my favourite).

Cinnamon coconut whip is a perfect accompaniment for this nicely sweet/tart cake.  It’s very easy to make, although requires a little advanced prep: simply place a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge the night before you plan to serve it…the rest of the directions are below.  Of course, this cake is lovely on it’s own, but I highly recommend the cinnamon whip. Alternatively, serve it with your favourite non-dairy ice cream.

I hope you love this recipe during the changing of the season; a little taste of late Summer before it’s pumpkin spice everything…

Big hugs to you!

xo

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ORCHARD PLUM DIMPLE CAKE w/ CINNAMON WHIP [vegan]

Welcome Autumn with this elegant, no-fuss dessert. Beautiful orchard plums nestled in a perfect cake crumb with a hint of cardamom and topped with a lovely dollop of cinnamon coconut whip! Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, or afternoon. Any variety of plum will work for this recipe. Advanced preparation for the cinnamon coconut whip is required, simply refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk overnight.

Course Dessert

Keyword cake, plums

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups light spelt flour or whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
• 2 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water
• 5 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5-6 medium plums halved and pits removed
• 2 tbsp organic cane sugar

For Cinnamon Whip:

• 1 can 398ml full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350'F and line the bottom of an 8" spring-form pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, ground cardamon and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ground flax and water and let stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Add in the coconut oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract and stir until well combined.

3. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until all the flour is incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Place the plum halves evenly around the cake and sprinkle with organic cane sugar.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Remove the spring-form and let cook completely on a wire rack.
5. While the cake is cooling, prepare the cinnamon coconut whip: remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge and invert. Open the bottom of the can and drain off/discard the coconut water. Scoop out the thick coconut fat into a medium bowl. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and agave syrup and whip until well combined. Place back in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove and whip again. Repeat until the coconut fat holds a stiff peak.
6. Slice the cake and serve with a big dollop of cinnamon coconut whip.