Italian Plum And Almond Cake

• 3 cups pitted, quartered Italian prune plums, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1/4 cup crushed Amaretto cookies
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 12 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup finely ground blanched almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a nine-inch springform cake pan.
3. Toss the plums into a bowl with the Amaretto cookie crumbs and one-fourth cup of the sugar and set aside.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Set aside.
6. Cream the butter and remaining sugar until very light and fluffy.
7. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
8. Stir in the ground almonds and almond extract until just incorporated into the batter.
9. Fold in the flour mixture.
10. Spread the batter in the pan.
11. Arrange the plums on top of the batter.
12. Bake 40 minutes.
13. Allow to cool to room temperature before removing the cake from the pan.
14. If desired, whipped cream or ice cream can be served on the side.

crushed amaretto cookies, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, sweet butter, eggs, ground blanched almonds, almond

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/5445 (may not work)