Plum and Walnut Cake - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Kitchen
Plum cake is, or rather was, very popular for wedding cakes in Chile. I've received many requests for this recipe, but from what I hear from people who have recently gotten married, wedding cakes in Chile now have many different fillings, and pancake cakes are popular; even cupcake towers for the dessert table have replaced the traditional cake.
- 2 cups (300 grams) of dried plums (soaked in hot water for 30 min)
- 4 tablespoons (60 grams) of butter
- 1 cup (240 ml) of milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (310 grams) of flour
- 1 cup (125 grams) of chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 jar (375 grams) of dulce de leche
- 2 cups (1/2 liter) of whipping cream
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare a 20-23 cm round cake pan. Grease it and place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom.
- Chop the plums very finely; this can be done with a food processor.
- Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Beat the butter with the sugar until creamy, for about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda. Stir.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the eggs, beat, and add 1/2 cup of milk; repeat the process alternating until you get a heavy batter.
- Add the plums and walnuts; mix well.
- Add the egg whites, first 1/3 and then the rest with folding motions.
- Bake in a water bath for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes, or until a stick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely in the pan. Unmold and cut twice to obtain 3 cakes.
- Fill with dulce de leche and decorate with Chantilly cream or dulce de leche with chopped walnuts.
I honestly don't even remember what my wedding cake was. My husband and I got married while we were still in school, and our mothers organized everything. And I wasn't as interested in cooking as I am now. You can bake this cake in a water bath; it will turn out very moist, fluffy, and perfectly level. You can also bake it the normal way. It's up to you. It takes the same amount of time.
The fillings vary and I prefer dulce de leche because it's simple; it's also common to use buttercream, especially if the cake is going to be covered in frosting. I made a video about how to cut and fill the cake; you can see it on YouTube.
If you want to make a firmer sponge cake for a three-tiered cake, I have this recipe on the blog.
Description
A delicious and traditional cake.
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
- Add the egg whites, first 3/3 and then the rest with folding motions.
