Summer cake

We lived in Germany for about a year when Amanda was a baby.  In the months when fruit was in season (this was before you could buy any kind of fresh produce year-round) our elderly neighbors made a daily cake for their morning kaffee trinken ritual.  And of course they never wasted food from the garden, so this was a simple Kuchen with fruit baked on top, always eaten on the same day it was baked. 

I have a similar recipe for a "plum tart" from an old Sunset magazine. John loves it.  It's an easy batter recipe with no special ingredients, and works for all kind of fresh fruit:  peaches, apples, nectarines and of course, plums.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated orange peel (optional)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
pinch salt
3 large eggs
1 cup flour
About a pound of thinly sliced fresh fruit

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, salt, almond and orange peel-- blend well, about 2 minutes.  Add the flour and beat on high speed for about 4 minutes.  The batter will be thick.

Butter and flour an 11 inch tart pan with removable bottom.  Spread the batter on the bottom, then arrange the slices of fruit on top. Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in a 375 oven until the batter pops up around the fruit and the cake is lightly browned and beginning to pull away from the pan sides, about 30 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar. 

This recipe is an easy warm weather dessert, served "mit schlag" (or vanilla ice cream) on top.