Vanilla Roasted Black Plums With Toasted Lemon Cake And Ginger Ice Cream Recipes

LEMON-VANILLA CAKE ROLL

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the parchment. Beat the egg whites and lemon juice in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Whisk the egg yolks with the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla seeds in a separate large bowl until smooth. Sift the remaining 1 cup confectioners? sugar, the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl; whisk into the yolk mixture until smooth. Stir about one-third of the whites into the batter with a rubber spatula, then fold in the remaining whites in two batches. Spread the batter in the prepared pan; bake until the cake springs back when gently pressed, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Immediately sift confectioners' sugar generously over the top of the warm cake and loosen the edges with a knife; lay a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) over the cake. Place another baking sheet over the towel and flip the cake with the baking sheets to invert it onto the towel. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment. Starting at a short end, roll up the cake and the towel together into a spiral. Transfer seam-side down to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, vanilla seeds and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until cooled and stiff peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes. Beat in the butter, 1 piece at a time, until combined (the mixture may look curdled). Add the lemon zest and juice. Switch to the paddle attachment and continue to beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Gently unroll the cake. Spread 2 cups of the frosting over the cake about 1/4 inch from the edges, then top with a layer of the lemon curd; swirl together. Reroll the cake (without the towel). Trim the ends with a serrated knife. Transfer to a platter and spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

SPICY OVEN-ROASTED PLUMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place the plums, cut-side up, in a single layer in the baking dish.
• Whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and cardamom in a bowl; drizzle over the plums.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until plums are hot and the sauce is bubbly. Top with toasted almonds, if desired (see Cook's Note).

VANILLA ROASTED BLACK PLUMS WITH TOASTED LEMON CAKE AND GINGER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Split plums and remove seeds. Place skin side up in a baking dish. Split vanilla bean in half and scrape out seeds, mix with sugar until distributed throughout. Pour evenly over plums and add vanilla pod. Bake until plums are very soft. This may take 1 hour, depending on the variety of the plum. Check every 15 minutes.
• Remove the fruit and reduce the liquid in a saucepan until it is a syrup-y consistency. The fruit and sauce may be prepared the day before serving.
• Lemon Pound Cake: Cream butter and 4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add egg yolks, scraping between additions. Add lemon juice and zest, scraping again. Add sifted dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Whip egg whites with 4 ounces sugar until soft peak, and fold into batter. Scoop into prepared pans and bake until an inserted skewer shows no remaining batter on the skewer.
• Do not open oven for the first 20 minutes or cakes may collapse. Cool slightly in pans, then turn over onto parchment paper to fully cool. May be frozen after completely cool, wrapped well in plastic wrap.
• Assembly: Cut cake into slices. Warm plums and sauce. Place cake on serving plate, arrange 3 plum halves, and some of the sauce. Just before serving, add a scoop of ginger ice cream (or your favorite).