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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Can this cake be made with RED plums instead of the black plums pictured?
Sure Alice, red plums will work too!
Can this prune cake be frozen?
Yes Anne, I think it would freeze nicely.
Jennifer,
Another blue ribbon recipe!! Absolutely delicious!! My wife and I both enjoyed this cake. I never would have thought that the skin on the plums would end up being so tender.
Once again, thank you for sharing another wonderful recipe!!!
Hi Jen! Really wanted to make this recipe but can’t seem to find ground cardemom in my area. Any thoughts as to what would make a good substitute?
Hi Amanda, You could add a bit of ground ginger or just leave it out — it won’t make a big difference. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Your cake was such a hit, my boys are asking me to bake another one! If I double the recipe, can it be baked in a 9×13 pan? How much extra time would I need to add? Thanks for your time. 🙂
So glad everyone liked it! Yes, you can double it and prepare in a 9 x 13 dish. Cooking time should be about the same, but make sure to check it for doneness before pulling it out.
This is delicious! I honestly did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I had to stop myself and my husband from eating it, I think I could have sat there and eaten the whole cake. I decreased the sugar from 200g to 150g (a little less than a cup) I also used one large black plum and two smaller red plums. Will be baking this over and over again!
I made this with peaches and it was luscious. Great foundation recipe for any stone fruit or berries.
absolutely delicious – the perfect cake to introduce plums to those who think they don’t like them!
That would be me. I thought I should bake this and it was just great. My whole family liked it. I’m not one to try anything new but after making the strawberry version I thought this could be something new we would like. My wife has already said I have to make it for Christmas!
Greetings Jenn,
This cake was delicious, my family and I loved it. My son suggested making it with peaches, blackberries or bluberries next time. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Vicki
This light Summer cake is delicious. Do you think it could be made with fresh peaches too? If so, how large would you slice them? My husband loved it and asked for it again this week. I made both the strawberry and plum recipes. It will be my go to Summer cake recipe!
Hi Karen, Glad you liked the cake! Yes, I think you could use almost any variety of fruit here. If using peaches, I’d cut them in quarters, sixths or even eighths depending upon the size of the peaches. I’d love to hear how it turns out!