Late Summer Plum Cake
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Gently spiced, this jammy plum cake celebrates the summer-into-fall season. Serve it as a brunch cake or for dessert topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
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. Gently tucked into the batter, the plums turn into rich, jammy pockets as they bake. And a touch of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom give the cake a hint of cozy fall flavors. You can enjoy this dessert any time of day—plain and simple, or with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What you’ll need to make Plum Cake
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by whisking the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt together in a large bowl.
Next, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth.
Transfer the batter to a greased Springform pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Note that the batter is quite thick.
Arrange the plums on top, skin side up, in a circular pattern so that they cover most of 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 (leave the base in place). Let the cake cool on a rack completely.
Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
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- Fresh Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
- Summer Strawberry Cake
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- Plum Galette
Late Summer Plum Cake
Gently spiced, this jammy plum cake celebrates the summer-into-fall season. Serve it as a brunch cake or for dessert topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
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.
- Note: 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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I enjoy cooking and have made a number of your recipes, but never baked anything … but when I saw this plum cake, I nearly took a bite out of my monitor! I gathered the ingredients I did not already have and bravely set forth to stir, combine, whip, and bake. I did not have a springform pan or even a cake pan, so I used a 9 1/2 glass pie pan … the result was nothing short of fantastic! I love pies … and will tolerate cakes, but I was never a big fan of them until I made this cake. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe; I have pre-ordered your new cookbook and look forward to enjoying more of your wonderful recipes.
Glad you took the leap to bake it you enjoyed it (and thanks so much for your support of the cookbook)! 🙂
is it a cup or 1/2 cup of sugar please
Hi Gaynor, You’ll need 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar. Hope that clarifies!
Lovely cake. I didn’t have cardamom but it was delicious without. Mine cooked in 60 mins.
A keeper and I’ll definitely explore more of your recipes, thank you! X
This is one of the best cakes ever! I’ve made it several times and everyone raves about it. Yum!
Jenn, you did it again!
Holy macro that was a good cake! It was a rainy day today and all the warm spices, the ooey gooey jammy plums, and the subtle bites of tartness just came together beautifully. My husband and I ate HALF of the cake in one sitting (I know, I know.. but it was just SO good!) Can’t wait to make this cake again for my family!!
Few quick notes: I didn’t have any crushed cardamom on hand so I just used all spice, and added a teeeny bit more cinnamon and it was absolutely perfect!
I picked up a case of apriums (cross between apricots and plums). Could they be used for this recipe?
Hi Carolyn, I do think it’d work well. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
It turned out great!! Thanks Jenn
Glad to hear it — thanks for reporting back!
Plum cake turned out super moist and delicious!
Loved the recipe..real quick and easy too
Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful gem. Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes 👍
This is a great recipe! Thank you! The results were fantastic – it tasted amazing and it looked really professional.
A lovely way to use the sweet summer plums we have in abundance in the South West of France. Hubby has already put in a request for cake number two and I am planning to bake this for friends next week.
This was wonderful. I have 4 grandkids and they all loved it. It is unusual to find something they all like.
Fantastic recipe! We just finished eating the first cake I baked using this recipe. Crowd pleaser! Could not resist – the second one is in the oven right now. I cut down on spices a bit, this allowed the plums to shine. Highly recommend this recipe. Very easy to follow and turns out consistently good.
I am seeing now that you did post a link to your blueberry muffins as well and suggest a swap. Might I just add the ratio of spices from this recipe to that one?
Sure, that should work. Please LMK how they turn out!
This cake was absolutely FANTASTIC!! I made it a few days ahead of an 18-mile hike I did with friends where we often tailgate once done. I knew this would be a nice treat after all that hard work and indeed it was. I never had the chance to taste-test after making it for the 1st time, only doing so at last weekend’s tailgate and WOW was I impressed! This cake got rave reviews from fellow hikers to the point it made it into pictures of the event itself! I paired it with store-bought whipped cream just to keep things simple in the cooler of food I’d brought for the tailgate. I managed to keep a decent sized slice for my Mother to try while suggesting she share it with my BF who was stopping by next day – to which she promptly said (after taking her first bite) – “No, he will have to wait”. 😄 I followed the recipe TO. THE. LETTER. and it came out **SERIOUSLY OUTSTANDING**!
What brand of 9″ spring form pan do you use. FYI I also was dropped from your weekly email posts. Thanks so much
Hi Sandy, I use Nordic Ware. And sorry that you’re not receiving the newsletter! I will look into it on my end and have you re-added to the list.
Thanks Jenn
Can this be made with gluten free flour or almond flour?
Hi Suzanne, I think this would work fine with gluten-free flour but would avoid almond flour. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Great recipe although the baking time is way too long I took mine out at 45 mins and thought it was over done. I would recommend baking for 35-40 mins instead.
This is an absolutely delicious cake! I made it as written but used less sugar. My plums were overripe and harder to slice and some had so much juice I poured it on top of the batter before baking. The flavor was amazing! I bought more plums just to make this again! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this and it is wonderful! I used the plums that were the least ripe, so there’d be a tart factor and “oh yum”…
I think I’ll try it with rhubarb next!
Thanks!
Tasted amazing! Light and not too sweet, the plums add a great tartness! Would love to add whipped cream or ice cream next time I make this! 🙂
I made this for my grandson who loves plums. It is his favorite cake. I love it too.
Hi Jen,
Would peaches work in place of plums?
Diane
Sure, I think they would. I also have this peach cake you may want to consider. Hope you enjoy whatever you make!
This is one of my favorite recipes! It is simply perfect. I do add chopped nuts to the top for a little crunch.
Would it be at all possible to adapt this into muffins, adding a slice or two of plum per muffin and baking it for less time?
Hi Claire, I think you could use this for muffins, but I’d dice them instead of slice them. You could also use this recipe and replace the blueberries with plums.
Divine flavors! Easy to make.
What can I say? Make this cake–you will not be disappointed. I was a little worried about how it would turn out as I used plums that I froze last summer, plus I was using my brand-new convection oven for the very first time. My fears were groundless. This cake is so moist, with just enough sweetness to keep the plums from being too tart. Or maybe it’s got just enough tartness to keep the cake from being too sweet. Whichever it is, it is absolutely delicious.
Jenn,
Instead of the springform pan, can we make this in a buttered 9-inch deep dish pie pan like we do the strawberry cake?
Joy
Yes, Joy, I think that should work. Please LMK how it turns out!
This is one of the best cakes we have ever tasted.
I have made it several times, using both value-brand firm plums and over-ripe ones.
(In the UK where we live you can buy a punnet of ripen-at-home for 59p so I really like to use them in baking. Other fruits and berries are really expensive, especially blueberries and cherries which are around £10-12 per kilo.)
Once baked, the firm plums turn ripe and juicy, but the over-ripe plums are out of this world – my mum kept asking if I put marzipan in it!
Thank you, Jenn!
Your website is my go-to place for recipes – everything always tastes so good and this cake recipe is no exception. I just wanted to comment, though, that the 70 mins bake time seems a bit excessive – I’ve made this cake three times and have never left it in the oven longer than 40 mins at 350. Maybe my oven is just weirdly hot or something! Anyway, regardless – thanks for another great recipe!
Did not love it; taste was ok but dry. Should have bake it for less than 60 minutes.
I just made this for company last night. Because our friend is diabetic, I used monkfruit for the cup of sugar. I did add the 2 Tbsp of ‘regular’ sugar on top. And the only milk I had was almond milk. Excellent, delicious! As I have more plums left (thawed from the fall bounty) I’m going to make another one today and add cherries also. Then freeze! So glad I found this recipe!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it comes out the same every time. The cake is light and not too sweet, the plums are dense, fruity and a bit tart. I reduced the cinnamon (because I’m not a great fan) and increased the cardamom, a delicious combination of flavours.
This is legitimately my favorite cake ever. I could eat it every day. I tried using apples instead of plums, which also is AMAZING.
I really enjoyed making this cake with our summer harvested plums I had pitted and flung in the freezer. Cake batter was nicely spiced and perfectly moist with yummy crisp caramelization on the edges where the delicious sugared plum juice oozed out. I topped it with whipped cream and my family loved it. A delightful dessert any time of year!!!
I very rarely write reviews, and almost forgot that I made this in the summer. But I saved it on my phone, along with the picture. I am not a big fan of plums, but I do like fruit in cakes and other desserts so I figured I would give this a try. I followed the recipe and it came out exactly as the recipe described. Everyone that tried it enjoyed it very much.Jenn is a master at allowing home cooks and bakers the necessary instructions to make delicious meals and baked goods, turn out looking like a professional job! This plum cake is good warm or cold, but especially served with vanilla ice cream on the side. The plums are soft and sweet and complement the cake perfectly. I absolutely loved this! Can’t wait till summer!
Hi! I made this for the first time today and it came out really well. The cake was darker than I thought it would be, maybe from cinnamon? The flavor was fantastic and was super easy to make. I do believe this is my new favorite dessert. Super yummy. Can’t wait to make more recipes on this website. Thank you Jenn, great mix of recipes!
This is a really great recipe that comes together easily,and better than Martha Stewart’s! You won’t be disappointed.
I love this plum cake. It’s summer in every bite. I can’t wait to make it again.
Dear Jenn,
I have tried many of your recipes and have great success with my husband and guests. I have made this plum cake many times and also with apples, pears and peaches. They all work in you recipe. I love most of them. I would like to see ingredients in weight also so I can measure the ingredients better. Like sticks of butter… I don’t have them so it would be good to know the grams. Thank you.
This cake is perfect for summer/fall but I also brought it into winter because it’s so good with the spices! makes your entire house smell amazing too which is great for when guests walk through the door! Never have tried any sort of cake like this but was really really happy with how it turned out. Make sure to top with ice cream or whipping cream and you really get the perfect bite!
This is a different use for plums and is absolutely delicious. Every recipe I have tried of Jenn’s so far have all been very good.
Lovely cake…definitely make it again. Thank you
Absolutely delicious cake and so moist. Will definitely be making this many more times. Thanks for the recipe
Do you have a suggestion for how to adjust baking time if using multiple 4 inch springform pans instead of 9 inch. Would you cut the baking time in half?
Hi L, I’m concerned that with the smaller pans and reduced baking time, that the plums wouldn’t have enough time to cook/soften up. Sorry!
ok thank you.
An amazing cake! So simple and so tasty
The only problem is that the cake vanished so quickly
Don’t make a mistake and bake this recipe! I did and we 3 finished the whole cake in one go! Irresistible!
I just baked this as directed, only using a bit less sugar. I used prune plums. Oh my!
It’s sitting on the cooling rack with 2 pieces missing.
This is an amazing cake, tender and perfectly spiced. I’m going to make it again tomorrow for a friends birthday!
It’s a wonderful recipe! Love the spices in it and it was nice and moist!
I will make it again since my whole family thought it was awesome!
My son doesn’t usually cook or bake, but he wanted to make my birthday cake yesterday so I found this recipe for him. He found it very easy to follow, and the cake turned out delicious! I just had another piece for breakfast with coffee–perfect!
Everyone loved the juxtaposition of the tart and juicy plums with the flavorful cake, and commented that they would have it again any time.
Thanks for sharing!
This is a simple and lovely recipe that has wonderfully balanced flavours. It marries the joys together of late summer and early autumn.
JENN!! I just made this cake this morning and am having my 2nd piece with a lovely cup of tea! I grew up with 2 plum trees and miss my Mom’s and Baba’s plum cakes. So when I saw a 4 pd box of purple Italian plums at Costco last week, I was on a mission. Your recipe did not disappoint! This cake very easy to put together and I love the rustic look. I cut the sugar to 3/4 and replaced 1/2 cup flour with almond meal, and sprinkled the top with turbinado sugar. BaDaBOOM! This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made and will be my go-to from now on. The spices give it such a delicate boost of flavour too. I will surely be making this again; no really, I’ve got less than 3 pounds of plums left since munching on them while slicing! Another great recipe by you!
Janet
PS: can I slice up the rest of the plums and freeze them? I’d love to make this for our Canadian Thanksgiving Oct. 12th.
So glad you enjoyed this, Janet!! Yes, you can definitely slice and freeze any remaining plums. 🙂
Everyone loved this cake. It was perfect! I substituted ground cloves for the cardamom b/c I didn’t want to go to the store. I will be making this again very soon.
Delicious, thank you..
I replaced Cardamom with Ginger powder..
Love your recipes..
Lemon pound cake was also delicious so was burger recipe..
By the way, I live in Istanbul and am in my late seventies..
Thanks 😊
Hello Jenn, this was a very nice recipe and easy to put together and bake. it smelled wonderful while baking. I chose peaches as a topping and can send a picture if you like but I am not sure how to attach it.
So glad you liked it! Unfortunately, the blog isn’t set up to receive pictures but if you’re on Instagram, you can share it there; be sure to tag me @onceuponachef! 🙂
Dear Jenn,
Plum Cake is delicious, thank you for the recipe. I used ginger instead of cardamom.
What a lovely, warm, sweet, yet tart cake! I made homemade vanilla whipped cream to go with it. My husband said it’s the best one he’s ever eaten, however, he seems to say that about any recipe I make from your site, Jenn! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes! I can’t wait for your next cookbook to come out 🙂