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
This easy plum cake recipe is rustic, cozy, and just as good with your morning coffee as it is with dessert.
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
- 8 tablespoons (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (low-fat is fine)
- 1 pound plums, pitted and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. (Alternatively, the cake may be made in a 9-inch 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 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.
- Storage: This cake keeps well, loosely covered at room temperature, for several days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 344
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Sugar: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 231mg
- Cholesterol: 55mg
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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Comments
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What size springform pan do you recommend? The one I have is a 10″ and the batter seemed lost, so I transferred it to a pie plate.
Hi Sally, I recommend a 9-inch springform for this. It’s perfectly fine, though, to bake it in a pie plate though (or a 9-inch cake pan). Hope it turned out nicely!
Thank you!
Never mind! I see in your comments from a previous year that a 10 inch springform pan is too large. Glad I switched! Cake turned out beautifully and tastes wonderful!
Oh. Emm. Gee. Dee–lish! Comes together super easy and tastes just wonderful. My only comment is that the grease from the springform pan dripped down to the bottom of my stove and kinda smelled and smoked a bit. I quickly put the pan on a sheet tray and all was good with the world. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again. And again….
I made this cake when we had guests, used whole wheat aata (flour)instead of APF. Turned out fabulous. Served it with vanilla ice cream. This recipe is a keeper.
I’ve made this recipe 4 times – it’s absolutely delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing. The really great thing with this recipe is the cake flavor is equally wonderful with a stone fruit other than Plums, like Peaches or Nectarines, as it would be with Cherries or even berries.. Thank you for sharing this with us! 🙂
Hi Jenn, I’ve made both this and the strawberry cake for company to great success! It’s delicious! Do you think this cake can be made 2 days ahead without drying out? I have to bake it on Monday night for a Wed afternoon meeting. If so, would I store it at room temp or in the fridge, and should it be covered? Thanks for your guidance and the lovely recipe!
I think you could get away with it Sumi – I’d store it covered in the fridge.
Awesome. Thank you!!
Jen, I’d thought I’d let you know you have a follower & subscriber in France! SW near Bordeaux.
I have made your late summer plum cake 3 times in the last 2 weeks! Delicious and if given the opportunity will last 3 days easily. Other half will have for breakfast too! There is one waiting to be dived into, just come out of the oven, the smell is irresistible!
The flour is a little different here so seems to take 50ish min to 👨🍳 cook. Maybe me. Cream is different, can’t get fresh chillies so some challenges but I persevere! I am known for my deserts!
I spent time in the Middle East, visited Lebanon, grew up on a Greek Island so love all those familiar dishes, esp Lebanese.
I still have many of your recipes to try, but thought I’d let you know how far & wide your influence goes! Quote from other half, Best Cake Ever!
Lulu
So glad to know that your distance from me has nothing to do with your enthusiasm for the recipes– so glad you like them! (And hope the plum cake that just came out of the oven was delish!)
I have made this cake several times and shared the recipe as well. it is perfect . moist, dense cake with sweet plums. My friend told me I can toss all other recipes away!
The cardamom adds so much flavor of this cake. I used a regular 9×9 baking pan and it did fine. It is also is great for peaches also. Desserts don’t last long at our house.
I’m making this again this summer. I made it last year and it was easy and a huge hit. I never thought I would like a plum cake but I love it. My family, friends and neighbors all loved it too.
Greetings Jen, Can this recipe be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan? I made it last summer, and it was so delicious it was gone in a flash! Thanks for your time. Vicki P.
Hi Vicki, Yes, it can be doubled and prepared 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.