'Sugar Plum Fairy' Pudding Cake

I have a mouse in my house...a Nutcracker Mouse!  My Girl is performing in The Nutcracker Ballet this weekend with Twin Cities Ballet.  It is also The Cake Slice Bakers time, this month is Cinnamon Pudding Cake.  More appropriately for us to celebrate her debut in the Nutcracker this week...it is Sugar Plum Pudding Cake.  I am baking this on our only non-rehearsal night this week!  Perfect to keep the theme flowing, now if I can just get her to stop twirling and leaping around the kitchen for a second...ohhh what a cute little mousy in my kitchen.

Cooking Confession #3-  I am a constant oven peaker, I know so bad!   It lowers the temperature of the oven, messing with the baking and effects the outcome.  Do not do this!  Turn the oven light on, peak through the dirty window and wait it out.  "Patience is passion tamed." - Lyman Abbot

The old fashioned definition of "Sugar Plums" is any dried fruit, I think that dried dark cherries, golden raisins or cranberries would be very good in this recipe too.   This pudding cake creates a sweet caramel glaze over the top like magic.  Moist, easy, spiced cake perfect for your "Sugar Plums".

'Sugar Plum Fairy' Pudding Cake
Print recipe here

Sugar Plum Pudding Topping
20 dried plums, halved (sounds better than ole’ lady prunes right?)
1 C + 2 TB packed organic light brown sugar
¾ C fresh apple cider
2 TB unsalted butter
¼ tsp celtic sea salt

Fairy Cake Batter
2 C soft white wheat pastry flour, unbromated and unbleached
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
2 tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp celtic sea salt
3 TB unsalted butter, softened
1 C sucanat (sugar)
1 TB apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
1 C (scant) whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of an glass pie pan liberally.  Don't be skimpy here or you will regret.

2. Combine the brown sugar, apple cider, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, pull off burner once boiling and starting to rise. Set aside to cool.  Careful!  Do not leave unattended, this will go from cold to boiling like mad quickly and if left will boil over and smell like a 3rd grade science class. 
3. Prepare your “buttermilk” by pouring the vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup. Then add your milk to equal one whole cup for the recipe. Set aside to let sour for 5 minutes.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Add half of the milk and the vanilla. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

7. Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula as level as you can get it.

8. Push the dried “sugar plums” into the batter to be level.

9. Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full). Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 minutes.  (CC#3)

10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter and serve warm. Beware because the gooey, yummy, glazed caramel pudding will leak around the cake.

11. Let any leftover cake cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.



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