Sky High Plum Pie*

*Not Pie

Let me explain.

A few days ago a friend of mine messaged to say she had 65lbs of prune plums from her tree, and would I like some. Absolutely! So I got a grocery bag full of plums (no I didn’t weigh it, but it’s a lot). I have never baked with plums before but I had a hunch they’d work really well with  my olive oil cake because the cake is very light, moist, and flavourful without being overpowering. I didn’t want the cake to taste like the regular olive oil cake but with plums, so I poked around at different recipes until I decided on adding pumpkin pie spice. Most recipes used cinnamon, or clove, or nutmeg, but none sounded like they had nearly enough flavour, hence pumpkin pie spice! All the flavours you could want in one taste spoonful.

But none of that explains the name. Fast forward to baking day: my daughter took one look at the cake and asked what kind of pie I had made. It’s not pie! Sent a picture to the friend who gave me the plums, and she says “Yum! Pie or cake?” Ugh, it’s cake! Hubby comes into kitchen: “nice pie!” OMG! Brother-in-law walks in: “Looks great! Is it a pie?”

SERIOUSLY?! It’s cake people!! So that night when I served the cake I jokingly called it Sky High Plum Pie and everyone jumped on the name, and there you have it: Sky High Plum Pie  #NotPie. Ridiculous name for ridiculously delicious cake.

Sky High Plum Pie (*NotPie) (adapted from Bon Appétit’s Olive Oil Cake)

1 1/4 C olive oil, plus more for pan
1 C granulated sugar, plus more for pan and topping
3 eggs, room temperature
2 C cake flour
1/3 C almond flour
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 or 5 Italian Prune Plums, pitted and sliced into 8ths

Rub the inside of a springform pan with oil, or spray with baking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper, oil that as well. Coat with granulated sugar, shake out the excess. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the almond extract, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine the sugar and eggs on high for 4 mins, until thick and pale. With mixer still on high slowly drizzle in the oil until mixture is even thicker.

With mixer on low alternately add in the dry and wet mixtures beginning and ending with the dry.

Give the mixture a few folds with a large spatula to ensure it’s fully combined and pour into prepared pan. Arrange plum slices in spiral pattern around the top. Coat with roughly 2 tbsp sugar.

Place in a 400F oven and immediately drop the temperature to 350F. Bake for 40-50 mins, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Loosen springform edge and cool.

*Pumpkin Pie Spice (from The Kitchn)
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Enjoy!