Late Summer Plum Cake
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Gently spiced, this jammy plum cake celebrates the summer-into-fall season. Serve it for brunch or dessert.
Taking a cue from Martha Stewart’s fresh strawberry cake (a favorite on this site), this plum cake is the perfect dessert for late summer when plums are at their prime. Tucked into the batter, the fruit bakes into rich, jammy pockets, while warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom add a hint of cozy fall flavors. Enjoy this dessert any time of day—plain and simple with a cup of coffee, or topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“A wonderful cake! The spices really make it stand out and the plums cut through to make the whole thing sing!”
What you’ll need to make Plum Cake
- Flour, baking powder, and salt – Your dry base to give the cake structure.
- Warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom) – Just enough to give the cake a cozy, fall-like flavor.
- Butter and sugar – Creamed together until light and fluffy for that tender crumb. A little sugar is also sprinkled over the top so the cake gets a caramelized finish.
- Egg and vanilla – Bind the batter and add depth of flavor.
- Milk – Any kind you have on hand works here; low-fat is fine.
- Plums – Ripe but firm, pitted and quartered so they bake into jammy little pockets.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt together. Set the mixture aside.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy—it should take a few minutes.
Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla. Beat on low speed until evenly combined.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients and milk. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth.
Step 5: Transfer the batter to the pan. Scrape the batter into a greased springform pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. As you can see, the batter is quite thick.
Step 6: Top with plums. Arrange the sliced plums on top of the batter, skin side up, in a circular pattern so that they cover most of the cake. Then sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the plums.
Step 7: Bake. Bake the cake for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center.
Step 8: Cool and serve. Once the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife around the edges and release the springform side (leave the base in place). Let it cool completely on a rack, then slice and enjoy.
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Late Summer Plum Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (any kind)
- 1 lb plums, pitted and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-in (23-cm) springform pan. (Alternatively, the cake may be made in a 9-in/23-cm cake pan or pie pan and served directly from the pan.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, cream the butter and 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. (Note: the batter will be quite thick.)
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Arrange the plums on top, skin side up, in a circular pattern so that they mostly cover the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the plums.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center.
- When the cake is hot out of the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan and then remove the springform edge, leaving the base in place (if using a springform pan). Let the cake cool on a rack completely. Slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. The cake keeps well, loosely covered at room temperature, for several days.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn. I found your recipes a couple of years ago and have loved everything that I have made. I introduced my daughter to your sight this year. As we live on the same property we started eating dinner together in recent months. She and I have taken turns cooking and nearly every meal has featured one of your recipes. What a treat. We have all looked forward to dinner and have been blessed to have these good memories to look back on during this difficult time.
Thank you for all of your great recipes!!
When you say alternating between the flour and milk, how many times do I alternate?
Two to three times is perfect. Hope you enjoy!
Best stone fruit cake ever! I was pleasantly surprised how soft and fluffy the cake was and just love the sweet sugary top with the tart plums. Thank you so much for such a fabulous recipe!
This cake is SO good. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on using smaller springforms (4 or 6 inch) to make mini cakes? I’m thinking a smaller pan means less cook time and then the plums won’t have enough time to cook….
I think you may be right Laura, so I’d stick to the larger cake. Sorry!
OMG! Can I just say this is De-Lish! My go-to this summer has been Jenn’s Southern Peach Cobbler recipe, which is fabulous, but I was looking for something different and this did not disappoint. I used fresh peaches and black plums (2 ea) and sprinkled 2Tsp raw turbinado sugar on top. Baking time took about 70 minutes. The cardamom really makes it special so don’t leave it out! Enjoy!!
Jenn, I’ve tried so many of your recipes over the years and they’re always impressive and I’m never disappointed. This is another keeper! I’m so grateful to have confidence in your culinary successes. Please keep em’ coming!
Wow!!!! What a delicious cake! It also looks beautiful!!!
I baked it a little longer though…maybe 80 minutes. End result was delicate and moist. And the tartiness of the plums was amazing!
I’m wondering if (when plums are out of season) I could also use oranges and instead of vanilla use either Amaretto or Grand Marnier liquor (more of a winter taste)…
Thanks you!
Hi Claudia, I do think oranges and either liqueur would work. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!
Great recipe. Easy to make and it was delicious!
Simple and delicious. I used an 8” springform pan as I did not have a 9”. Baked 12 mins longer. I also ground cardamom pods as I was out of ground. So fragrant and wonderful. A great way to use my plums.
I made this and it came out so good. The combination of sweet and tart and addition of the spices made this recipe spot on. It is a keeper! Thanks!
Absolutely delicious
The nutmeg and cardamom caught my eye in this recipe and it did not disappoint. I’ve been experimenting with flours this season, and so I used 1 cup spelt flour and 1/2 cup of an organic whole wheat flour (summit hard red) from a local grower and miller. Didn’t have milk so used whipping cream diluted with a bit of water, and the result was a moist yet light cake that enveloped the plums and wasn’t too sweet. It was easily one of the nicest cakes I’ve ever baked, and oh the cardamom. Used freshly grated nutmeg, and was wondering if one uses fresh nutmeg can you get away with using a wee bit more? Thank you for such a lovely cake recipe – easily one of the summer go-to recipes when fresh plums are bountiful.
So glad you liked this, Jean! Sure, I think you could up the fresh nutmeg a touch. 🙂