Did You Try Making: Natalia Kudela's Cinnamon Chocolate Plum Cake

February 13, 2013

Did You Try Making: Natalia Kudela’s Cinnamon Chocolate Plum Cake

Recipe: Cinnamon Chocolate Plum Cake, from our contributing blogger, Natalia, from Mala Cukierenka.

Ingredients:
400g (approx 1 ¾ cups) plums
200g unsalted butter, softened plus extra to grease
3/4 cup light brown sugar (demerara sugar)
1/3 teaspoon vanilla flavor
250g (1 cup) plain flour, sifted
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 tablespoons milk
3 eggs
70g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
For the topping:
3 tablespoons light brown sugar (demerara sugar)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the decoration:
50g dark chocolate
1-2 tablespoons almond flakes

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 23cm (9 inch) spring form tin with butter and baseline with baking parchment. Halve and de-seed plums. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and spices. Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar, until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next. Add vanilla flavor and mix. Fold in the flour and milk until the mixture is smooth. Add chocolate and stir with a large spoon, then pour into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.

Arrange the halved plums over the top of the mixture, pressing them down lightly, then sprinkle with sugar mixed with cinnamon. Bake for 60-70 mins. To decorate, melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, spread the chocolate over the top and scatter with almond flakes.

Photo Source: Mala Cukierenka

INTERVIEW: Natalia, Blogger, Mala Cukierenka {Wroclaw}

Countlan: Please introduce yourself:
I am an amateur pastry chef. Baking and preparing desserts is my hobby. I love to bake for my friends and family, bring them a piece of joy and happiness each day.

02 What is your blog about and what does Mala Cukierenka mean?
The name of my blog is Mala Cukierenka, which in Polish means small bakery. I prepare simple, delicious desserts and share them on my blog. I invite everyone to sieve, mix, grind, knead, decorate, snack, taste and share in the pleasure of baking.

03 Where are you based?
I am from Wroclaw, Poland. My hometown is beautiful, welcoming and offers a lot of delicious food.

04 What is special about entertaining in Poland?
Everyone is welcome. We are famous for our hospitality and great food. In addition, there are many interesting places worth visiting. Tourists, who come to Poland, always want to come back.

05 Why did you choose cinnamon chocolate plum cake for fall?
I chose cinnamon chocolate plum cake, because plums are a typical Polish autumn fruit. Cinnamon and other spices make the dough very flavorful. The cake brings the feeling of warmth and comfort, and hints at the upcoming holidays. What’s more, the chocolate in the cake increases serotonin and endorphin levels, which makes us happier.

06 What is Polish cuisine known for?
Polish cuisine is wonderful, highly varied, and delicious. There are many traditional dishes, which visitors from abroad absolutely must try. One of the must try dishes are pierogi, a type of Polish dumplings. The most popular are ones filled with typical eastern European white cheese, with cabbage and mushrooms, or with meat. Personally, I love pierogi in the sweet version, with fruits and sour cream. In the beginning, pierogi are boiled, then fried for a couple of minutes, and at the end they are tossed with melted butter and fried onion. The best pierogi are the homemade ones (preferably made by grandmothers or moms).

07 We’ve tasted Polish bread and pastries and can’t get enough! Why are they so good?
Poland is also famous for its delicious bread. The best ones can be bought in small, private bakeries, which are pretty popular in Poland. In Wroclaw, I recommend the bakery on Bema Square. I love their rycerski bread with a well baked, thick, crunchy crust, yummy! When it comes to pastries, apple pies called jablecznik, cheesecakes, and fruit yeast-cakes with crumble. Definitely worth to try!

08 Are there any other traditions worth noting when it comes to entertaining?
In Poland, almost every main meal starts with soup. If you are a visitor you need to try our red borsch with dumplings, popular especially during Christmas time, and żurek, a very rich soup, with plenty of meet and eggs, flavored with herbs.

Other Polish Bloggers Baking and Cooking Up a Storm: