Old-fashioned sugar plum cake

this is a cherished recipe of my mother’s that her mother used to make her as a child, especially at Christmastime. I’ve always heard her talk about this cake with a longing in her voice, and so I like to surprise her with it from time to time. It’s absolutely delicious and so very moist, a true bit of nostalgia from the good old days. This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon nutmeg, but I really don’t like nutmeg, so I doubled the cinnamon in its place. If you enjoy nutmeg, substitute 1 teaspoon of it for 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped dried plums (see Note)

1½ cups chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

sauce
• ½ cup (1 stick) margarine or butter
• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk
  
  
  Cake
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease and flour a Bundt or 9 x 13-inch cake pan.
  • Combine all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed.
  • Note: Dried plums are more commonly known as prunes, but folks don’t take to prunes nowadays like they used to, so we’re going to call them dried plums. Hey, whatever it takes to get you through the day!
  sauce
  • Just before the cake is done, place all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and continue boiling gently until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes.
  • Remove the fully baked cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top with a fork.
  • Pour the hot sauce over the hot cake. Allow to sit in the pan until the sauce is absorbed. Serve from the pan.
• 12 servings