Ohhhhh….summer is coming!  Granted, spring has barely begun, but I saw my first peach, plum, and nectarine displays at the grocery store this past weekend.  Besides going to the beach, one of the best things about summer is the fruit.  I LOVE peaches, plums, and nectarines.

Last summer, I bought so many that I mixed them into nearly everything I baked.  Of the all the tarts, galettes, and cakes I made over the summer, my favorite would have to be the impromptu pound cake I made with plums and nectarines and simply dusted with powdered sugar.

1 stick butter-softened

1/4 c. vegetable shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp vanilla extract (orange extract works great too!)

1 1/2 c. rough chopped plums & nectarines (with the skin on)

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk. It is best to start and end with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Gently fold in fruit. Pour into a greased and floured 9-10 inch round cake pan, and bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Allow cake to cool (if you can wait that long) before dusting with powdered sugar.

**NO, I did not use a traditional tube pan for this recipe.  If you want to make the larger, traditional pound cake, double your ingredients and increase your bake time to approximately 1-1 1/2 hours.