Buttercake with Fruit
Servings: 12 to 16 serves
Ingredients
- 250 g butter room temperature, cut into cubes
- 150 g plain yoghurt
- 200 g full cream milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 4 x 60g eggs
- 420 g raw caster sugar or plain caster sugar
- 400 g self raising flour
- 40 g custard powder
- 1 large tin fruit drained on kitchen paper
- cinnamon sugar for dusting see notes
Instructions
- Line the base and sides of a 26cm round springform cake tin (base measurement - spring form works best in this recipe) with baking paper
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees fan forced and place rack into middle of oven
- Place the butter into the container that you are going to mix the batter in (I use a large Tupperware mixing bowl as I can put it into the microwave ... see following point)
- You want the butter to be just semi melted with some slightly liquid and the rest soft (looking like a lovely thick custard), and the easiest way for me to do this is to put the container with the butter into the microwave for 20 seconds to soften the butter down a little ... if it is very cold and the butter hasn't softened enough, then continue for another 5 seconds until you get the desired finish (see photo)
- In another container add the yoghurt, milk, vanilla and eggs
- In a large bowl sift the flour, sugar and custard powder (this is important to do)
- Now you are ready to mix everything together
- Firstly, use your electric mixer to mix the yoghurt/milk/vanilla/eggs for a few seconds
- Then place the beaters into the softened butter and start mixing on medium speed until lovely and creamy
- Slowly pour the dairy mixture into the butter and continue until it is all mixed in well
- Once that is done remove the mixer for a minute and put aside
- Add all of the flour mix to the liquid ... it will look like it is too much but all is okay
- Place beaters into the mix and start beating, moving the beaters up and down and slowly incorporating the liquid from the bottom
- Keep moving the beaters around beating for at least 2 minutes ... during this time you will see the batter start to come together and fluff up
- Do not beat for any less than 2 minutes, but it may be that you will beat it for up to 3 minutes depending on the fluidity of your butter
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and place your chosen fruit on top (I like to place my fruit strategically so that when the cake is turned out it looks nice and even, but you can do whatever pleases you)
- Place cake into oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, check the centre of the cake and if necessary bake for a further 10 minutes (sometimes it takes less time, and sometimes more time, it all depends on the fruit being used but mostly I bake it for 1 hour 20 minutes)
- Remove cake from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes
- Have your serving plate ready, place it over the cake and invert the tin so that the cake drops out onto it
- Unclip the sides (but do not remove yet) and remove the base
- Whilst the sides are still in place you can now move the cake around on your platter to ensure it is placed evenly on the plate
- Remove the sides and dust with cinnamon sugar
- Allow the cake to rest for another 30 minutes or so before dusting with cinnamon sugar again before serving
- Keeps well in a covered container at room temperature for three to four days
Notes
You can use whatever fruit you like but my preference is for either plums (which is how I first experienced it), or pear halves with some form of berry/cherry (raspberry, blueberry, or sour cherry).
For simplicity and speed I use tinned fruit (this is usually a cake I make when I don't have time to throw together anything else but want to offer something lovely and fresh from the oven), and whilst I love plums or pears many people I know will use peach or apricot halves too. It is important that you allow the fruit to drain on kitchen paper first whilst you get the batter ingredients together. And if you are using frozen berries/cherries take them out of the freezer first 30 minutes before baking to take some of the chill off them.
I also ensure that when using plums I remove the pip ... whilst not many people worry about this I don't want to risk anyone losing a tooth (or two) by accidentally biting onto one ... to do this I use a small sharp knife and cut through the natural slit in the plum and slowly use my knife to dislodge the pip. It may be that the plum will fall apart a little but I keep it together and still use it, as once its in the batter that holds it together. The other option is to cut the plum in half anyway and use more of them to scatter over the batter ... but I like to keep them whole placing them strategically around the cake.
Whilst the cake is baking the fruit you have used will drop to the bottom, so when you turn it out upside down onto your serving platter the fruit will be showing. A light dusting of cinnamon sugar finishes it off and I can tell you honestly it is superb. Everyone will love it. Promise!
NB: I use a combination of raw caster sugar and ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar ... I have a "dusting" dispenser of it always on hand in the pantry. To make fill 2/3'rd of the container with sugar, then add a teaspoon of cinnamon at a time mixing it in until you have the strength you like (I love it with heavily scented cinnamon). So stop once you like the look of it, and can smell the strength of the cinnamon in it.