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. Tucked into the batter, the plums turn into rich, jammy pockets as they bake, 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, or topped with 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.
You may also Like
- Fresh Peach Cake with Pecan Streusel
- Summer Strawberry Cake
- Blueberry Coffee Cake (aka Boy Bait)
- 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 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!