Mom's big 60 and Hazelnut Plum Birthday Cake

It's one of these days when you really have to write something smart, and all you have in your head is yesterday's night buzz.

We were celebrating my Mom's birthday yesterday and I wanted to do something a little bit more special than cooking just a dinner at home, so we went to Travolta, an amazing sea food tavern - my favorite by far, simple-casual with food to die for.

I had a little bit to drink... Ok, maybe a little bit more than a little, but you don't celebrate your Mom's birthday every day, right? Beside that, the wine we had was irresistibly good. 

 



 

Sea Bass Carpaccio (left) and Sardines Mille-feuille (right) at Travolta

Hey, but wouldn't be myself if I didn't make a birthday cake for Mom... I had this recipe for many years, it was pined to a board above my desk, I just never had a chance to actually bake it. Its a very aromatic hazelnut cake with  tangy plum filling and a little rum flavor.

 

 

 

Hazelnut Plum Cake with Rum and Whipped Cream

 

the cake:

6 eggs, separated

100g sugar

100g cake flour (all purpose flour is fine too)

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2 tbsp dark rum

40g dry bread crumbs

150g hazelnut meal

1 tsp good vanilla extract

 

plum filling:

about 1 kg black plums, pitted and quartered

5 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

 

extras to assemble the cake:

500ml whipping cream (I used lightly sweetened vegetable cream)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp concessioner's sugar (I didn't use, my cream was sweet)

100g almond flakes, toasted

 

 

 

Method:

 

the cake:

1. Preheat the over to 175'C. Grease three 20cm cake tins with a little butter and then line with the baking paper.

2. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, bread crumbs, hazelnut meal, baking powder and salt.

3. In a bowl of an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff peak forms. With the mixer running start adding spoonful's of sugar. When you are done with the sugar add the egg yolks, one at the time. Beat on medium-high speed for about 5-10 minutes. You should have a heavy and dense looking foam by now.

4. Using a wooden spoon or spatula fold in the flour mix in three batches, mixing gently after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and rum.

5. Pour the batter into prepared cake tins and bake for 35 minutes, until the surface of the cakes is lightly brown. Cool on the wire racks until completely cold.

 

the filling:

1. Place the plums, sugar and cinnamon in a large pot and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the mixture looks like a thick marmalade.

2. Set aside until completely cold. 

 



assembling the cake:

1. In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar (if you are using not sweetened cream) until peaks form. Make sure not to over beat, cream will become lumpy.

2. Place the one of the layers, top side up, on a flat plate or a cake board. Using a thin metal spatula spread thick layer of the plum filling on top of the cake. Align the next cake layer, top side up, on the top of the plum filling. Spread 1/3 of the whipped cream and place the final layer of the cake on top of the cream.

3. Frost the top heavily and the sides lightly with the reminding whipped cream. Lightly press the toasted almonds on the sides of the cake. Serve chilled.

4. This cake keeps for to 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Mom!