Why I cut into the plum cake before I pin it
Recipe blogger on Pinterest
The plums make a lovely pattern on top. When I follow a recipe, though, the photo I look for is the one that shows the middle.
I save the first cut for the camera
I take the overhead photograph before anyone has a slice, then wait until a wedge will hold its shape. A hot piece slumps and makes the layer under the fruit look wetter than it will be on the plate. I photograph a cooled slice at eye level. My written recipe still carries the baking directions; the photograph shows what this particular bake looked like.
A purple streak can tell two stories
In one frame the knife has dragged plum juice all the way down the crumb. It looks striking, but it gives the impression that every bite has a ribbon of jam. I turn the slice a little and take a clean side view. You can see the thin fruit layer and the larger pockets of cake without me painting over a single fleck.
I check the picture at pin size
I keep the big files for the recipe and make separate posting copies. After processing the copies in RemoveDog I open the preview small and look for the boundary between plum and crumb. A heavy crop makes the cake look like a close-up of jam. I back out until a little plate and the cut edge are visible.
What makes it onto the board
I save the full cake as the invitation and the slice as the reference for someone already baking. My caption calls it a plum cake and says the pictured piece had cooled before cutting. That small detail is more helpful to a reader comparing their own slice than a second photo of the patterned top.