Gardy Cake

----CAKE----
Butter,Sweet, 4 oz
Flour, 5 oz (1 1/4 cup)
Sugar, 6 oz (l 1/4 cup)
Egg yolks, 4
Egg whites, 4, beaten stiff
Baking powder, 1/2 tsp
Lemon rind, of 2 or more lemons, grated
Fruit, 4 or 5 lbs of very ripe FRESH (peaches, apricots, cherries, prune plums, tart apples,etc. peeled or not as you choose or as needed)
                       
---TOPPING----
Butter, Sweet, about 4 oz
Bread crumbs, about 1/2-1 1/2 cups*
Sugar, up to 1 or more cups of sugar
Cinnamon,** 1/4 cup
Lemon juice, (optional)

CAKE: Mix butter, sugar, yolks, and lemon rind. Alternately gently FOLD flour & baking powder and egg whites into batter. Spread into buttered and floured 10" X 15" pan or equivalent. Insert fruit slices or pieces into batter. Crowd the fruit in, pieces should touch; fruit sections should be placed on edge. 

TOPPING: If fruit is bland sprinkle with lemon juice.  Top cake with sugar, cinnamon and bread crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 F until it starts to brown on top. Serve hot or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream. Freezes well. NOTE: Quantities of bread-crumbs, cinnamon, and sugar shown in topping are for ripe Italian prune plums.

* Use more or less bread crumbs depending on how juicy the fruit is.
** Spices should depend on fruit; consider cloves, nutmeg, mace, etc. as alternatives or additions.
*** E.g., cherry cake, if cherries are very sweet needs no sugar in topping.

Three recipes will fill two 12" X 18" pans.