Plum burnt-butter pistachio cakes

I love stone fruit but they are not around for long – it’s time to enjoy these delicious treats while they’re in season here.

These cakes come from this beautiful magazine and even though I am crazy for plums they are not 100% necessary in this recipe: the burnt-butter pistachio cakes are so amazing I recommend them even without the fruit topping.

Plum burnt-butter pistachio cakes
from Australian Gourmet Traveller

3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (133g) caster (superfine) sugar
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (125g) all purpose flour
75g finely ground pistachios
6 plums, halved and stones removed

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour six 1-cup capacity mini cake pans.
Place butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until dark golden, remove from heat and cool completely. Combine eggs and sugar in an electric mixer and whisk for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Add flour and pistachios and whisk to combine, then fold in cooled butter. Divide mixture among prepared pans. Place 2 plum halves, cut-side down, over each and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Stand in pans for 5 minutes then carefully turn out and cool on a wire rack (the cakes are very tender).
Serve cakes warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 – I halved the recipe, used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity pans and got 5 mini cakes (used ½ plum per cake)