Mikey and I began reading The Chronicles of Narnia this summer. When Digory came out of the Wood between the Worlds, he could only describe it as a place as rich as plum cake. Mikey didn’t get it. Pastry doesn’t have money. Pastry costs money, like the bake sales at school.
I tried to explain to him that sometimes food can be a multi-sensory experience: taste, smell, sight. A rich experience, like eating a plum cake, involves most or all of the senses. Visiting the Wood between the Worlds was a rich experience.
That didn’t help at all.
I told him a dessert can be so flavorful, so sweet, so incredible that eating a big piece is impossible. We call those rich desserts. The Wood was almost too incredible for Digory.
Nope.
I said maybe we should make a plum cake so he could see what Digory meant.
Better.
I spent an unreasonable amount of time researching plum cakes. I scoured my cookbooks to no avail, and the recipes I found online were more like coffee cakes. Good, I’m sure, but not something I would use to describe magical realism. I settled on a recipe from Baking: From my Home to Yours, one Deb of Smitten Kitchen blogged about in 2008. It’s a recipe I tried without success last year, so I checked out the cookbook from the library hoping to find enough variation in the recipe to avoid the problems I had on my first attempt.
Best decision this week.
On page 42 of Baking: From my home to yours, right after the dimply plum cake of ill repute, I found the Flip-Over Plum Cake, or, Digory’s plum cake.
Who wouldn’t want a cake that’s got down-home, not-in-the-least-fussy good looks, an unquestionably appealing flavor and a texture that can’t decide whether it wants to be a cake or your favorite nursery pudding?
I’m sorry, did someone say nursery pudding? That sounds like a dessert a mid-century English boy would enjoy. A dessert he would call rich.
I set about making it immediately. It was effortless, much like making pancake batter, and delicious. You top a thin batter with tart, chopped plums in a sugary syrup. As it bakes, the plums sink to the bottom and a caramelized bread pudding rises to the top. On the first day, the cake almost crackles from the browned sugar. On the second day, the cake returns to a traditional pillowy softness. I don’t know what happens on the third day. It didn’t last that long. The Mister ate 1/2 of the pan on the first night before pushing away his plate in disgust, asking me to never make Digory’s plum cake again. Nico asked for it at breakfast, lunch, and snack.
Mikey took a few bites but left behind most of his portions from the first and second day. Digory’s plum cake, it seems, was too rich, much like the Wood between the Worlds.
Flip-Over Plum Cake
Digory's Plum Cake or Flip-Over Plum Cake
adapted, barely, from Baking: From my home to yoursThe recipe calls for a 9x12 glass dish. I used a 9x13 pyrex. That, coupled with the extra plums I used, resulted in a thinner, juicier cake that resembled a cobbler. I think Digory would approve.Ingredients
- 2 lbs plums ripe but firm, preferably Italian prune plums
- 1 1/2 cup sugar divided
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
Your post brought back so many memories to me… The Lion, The Witch etc was the first “full length” book I read all by myself at six, and since then Narnia has been my go-to series whenever I feel uninspired or just need a good, familiar book. Sure, when I grew up I started seeing the many other sides of it, and yet the rich experience of getting lost in a good book will always be associated for me with Narnia. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Wait for it … I love it! :)
You know, I haven’t read The Chronicles of Narnia since I was a child; but I did get that very book for Christmas. I just might have to put it on my winter reading list … and make me a plum cake for good measure!
Sounds awesome – both the reading and the plum cake! I’ve lately been obsessed with Marcela Hazan’s Farmwife’s Pear Tart, which I’ve been making with plums pretty much every other week. I think I’ll try this one next time the urge strikes. Like maybe today.
I wish we were neighbors.
If we were, I would have walked over and given you the other half of the cake. It was dangerous to have it in my house!
Your bowls make you a woman after my own heart…
Reading Elian the Chronicles of Narnia when he is old enough is on my life list. I love the idea of related-food. Perhaps we’ll need to learn how to make that devilish turkish delight.
Emily, you are psychic. Wait until you read tomorrow’s post.
I love this post so much! My youngest son has indicated his intention to work on reading the Narnia series this year and I’m just thrilled! I want to tell you 1) -I just love reading all of your posts; 2) I absolutely adore and covet your bowls; and 3) I believe that you left the flour and baking powder (with their measurements – I’d guess 1 cup flour & 2 tspns baking powder based on the remainder of the recipe) out of the ingredients list. I can’t wait to make this… :)
Eep! I sure did! Thank you for catching that. This, my friends, is why I am not a food blogger. (Aside from the fact I would be as big as a house.)
I came across your blog one day while on one of those endless internet searches that I know too well. I am so thankful that I did. This is without a doubt one of my favorite posts. It warmed me to my core. I am a teacher and love that you are reading The Chronicles of Narnia with your son. But I also love the way you chose to explain the multiple meanings of the word rich. It was ingenious. Keep up the wonderful work!
Will you be my mom?
When I was pregnant I bought the girls this:
http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Witch-Wardrobe-Read-Aloud-Narnia/dp/0060845244
This is one of my most favorite series ever and I couldn’t stand the thought of them never reading it. My goal is to get the others in the Read Aloud versions too. I have my own personal boxed set of the entire series, but they’re mine I say … mine!
I may have to buy that series! I just read a chapter tonight to Mikey and he was a little scared by the end.
I love this — you are such a fun mom! I was so excited to try Turkish Delight the first time I found it (in London). It was like eating perfume.
First of all, that edition is gorgeous!
Secondly, now I’m dying for plum cake. I’ll have to try it sometime. I was so incredibly excited the first time I found Turkish delight, and then so disappointed once I’d actually tried it. I’m not sure what I was imagining, but that wasn’t it.
Awesome post! I make a similar recipe with peaches & or freshly picked blackberries (never thought about using plums). I can only make it, if we’re expecting guests. Otherwise it is certain- I will eat the WHOLE pan. Delicious. And rich. I think it’s all about the butter.
Plum Cake was a term used for rich fruit cakes in earlier days in the UK, like a Christmas Cake. See the recipe below – haven’t tried it!
18th Century plum cake
– Published: 23 March, 2007
Page 26
Plums in old recipes mean currants rather than plums. Plum cakes were popular and there are a variety of recipes to choose from. This one comes from The Experienced English Housewife by Elizabeth Raffald, which was first published in 1769. Raffald was an impressively busy woman. She worked as a housekeeper for 15 years before moving to Manchester. There, she ran a confectioner’s shop, where round plum cakes were part of the daily offering to customers.
Makes 10 x 20cm round cakes
3lbs 12oz/1.7kg butter
2�lbs/1.2kg white sugar
17 whole eggs
17 egg yolks
3lbs 12oz/1.7kg flour
�oz/15g ground mace
�oz/15g grated nutmeg (1� nuts)
16fl oz/450ml brandy or white wine
1lb 4oz/560g currants
1lb 4oz/560g raisins
Zest from 2� lemons
1lb/450g candied orange and lemon peel
3fl oz/70 ml orange flower water
1 Beat the butter to a cream
2 Add the sugar and beat again until pale
3 In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and yolks well
4 Mix the eggs into the butter and sugar
5 Add the flour and the spices
6 Mix in the brandy, fruit and peel and orange flower water
7 Put into greased tins with 1� pints/�-litre capacity
8 Bake for 45 minutes at 180?C