Plum torta with cardamom sugar

1.For poached plums, stir sugar, vanilla bean and 200ml water in a large saucepan over high heat to dissolve sugar, then bring to the simmer. Reduce heat to low, add plums and poach until tender (10-12 minutes). Cool to room temperature.

2.Preheat oven to 170C. Combine milk and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg and sugar in a separate bowl to combine, then add milk mixture, flour, melted butter and lemon rind, whisk until smooth, then pour into a 20cm square cake tin buttered and base lined with baking paper. Drain plums (reserve poaching liquid for another use), press gently into cake batter and bake until an inserted skewer comes out clean (25-30 minutes). Stand cake in tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Turn right way up again (carefully), then brush with melted butter.

3.For cardamom sugar, combine sugar and cardamom, scatter on top of warm cake and serve warm or at room temperature. The torta is best eaten on the day it’s made.