Red Currant Bakery

0 Preheat the oven to 350º F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Prepare the Plums
2 Rinse and dry the plums.
3 Cut each plum in half and twist opposite from each other to separate one half from the pit. Make another cut, halving the half that is still attached to the stone. Peel of one wedge and then take the stone off of the other wedge.
4 Slice the halves and wedges into 1/2" thick slices and set aside.
Brown Sugar Butter Base
6 Line a 9" springform pan with a sheet of parchment paper. If using a leakproof style pan, lay the parchment across the bottom and then place the ring on top. This helps prevent leakage, it won't stop it all together but definitely helps.
7 In a medium pot or pan, add in the brown sugar and butter. Heat over medium low until melted and the it begins to bubble. Stir occasionally while cooking to prevent it from burning.
8 Pour the brown sugar and butter mixture into the lined pan, tilt the pan so that the mixture reaches all the way to the edges.
9 Arrange the plum slices on the brown sugar and butter base in your preferred mosaic pattern - they should cover the bottom of the pan, ideally overlapping because they will shrink as they bake. I did it in groups of 4 slices fanning out from each other but a spiral would be pretty too!
11 Set aside while making the cake batter.
Vanilla Cake Batter & Bake
13 In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine and then add in the yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts.
14 Beat with the paddle attachment, starting on low speed until just mixed and then increasing to high speed for another 30 seconds.
15 Once mixed, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully mixed.
16 Pour the batter over the plums. Spread the vanilla cake batter over the plum layer with a rubber spatula, careful not to shift the plums, into a smooth layer all the way to the edges.
25 Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds.
17 Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan 180º and bake for another 12-17 minutes until the cake is a deep golden brown color and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
18 Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife between the edge of the cake and the pan.
19 Release the springform pan and remove the collar. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the cake, followed by a plate turned upside down that is larger than the cake.
20 Holding onto the cooling rack and upside down plate, with the cake sandwiched in between, flip the whole sandwich over so the cooling rack is on top and the plate on the bottom. Do so carefully as some of the juices can spray a bit.
Cooling & Serving
22 Remove the cooking rack and cake base. Gently peel the parchment away from the bottom of the cake. Allow to cool for at least another 10 minutes before cutting with a long sharp knife.
23 Optionally serve with a drizzle of Vanille Soße. This cake is easier to cut once it is fully cooled but most delicious when warm.
24 I recommend storing left overs in an airtight container in the fridge and then microwaving for 15-30 seconds before serving. And if you're short on time but want a vanille soße dupe, melt down some vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle it on top instead!