Ingredients
butter,for the pan
1lbfirm plums
¾cupwalnuts halves
½cupunsalted butter,cut into slices
¾cupsugar
2largeeggs
zest of one lemon
1tspvanilla extract
1¼cupsall purpose flour
¾tspbaking powder
⅛tspsalt
2tbspturbinado sugar,or sugar in the raw
2tbsphoney,optional
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with a heatproof handle or a 9-inch cake pan. Halve, pit, and thinly slice the plums.
In a food processor or a nut mill, very finely chop the walnuts. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of the food processor and process until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, and process after each addition, until fluffy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt, and pulse just until the batter is smooth.
Finally, add the ground walnuts and pulse to mix them into the batter. The batter will be thick.
Scrape the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Lay slices of plums in a ring around the outside edge of the pan, overlapping the slices slightly.
Arrange a second ring of slices inside the first, and then fill in the very middle of the cake with the remaining slices. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Begin checking the cake around 35 minutes, and continue baking (checking every 5 to 10 minutes) until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Total cooking time is typically 40 to 50 minutes. Set the skillet on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
The cake is sweet enough as it is, but to add a little shine for an even more beautiful presentation, heat the honey in the microwave for 10 seconds and brush the cake with it.
Serve the cake straight from the skillet.
