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.
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- 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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Delicious! Straight forward recipe, wonderful results. I made this for a family brunch and it was a hit. I found cutting the plums and removing the stone the hardest part. I did use an 8.5 inch spring form pan and baked it for the full 70 minutes.
I also made the fresh corn salad and your smoked salmon spread, both delicious and easy!
Thanks for the great recipes!
Can I use frozen plums for this cake? I have some homegrown that I would like to use.
Hi Jan, Sure, frozen plums will work – enjoy!
I have made this cake several times and every time I make it, it brings so much joy. Thank you for the recipe.
This is the website I go to when I need to make something good: reliable, thoughtful, instructive and elegant.
I don’t bake much, but with company coming and plums on special, I thought I’d try this recipe. Everyone was glad I did! My cardamom was old, so I substituted 5 Spice Powder and loved the results.
This cake is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Definitely a keeper.
Does it matter what kind of plums you use? Some are sweeter than others.
Hi Pearl, I like black plums best, but you can use what you have on hand; I just wouldn’t go with anything too tart. Hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness, exactly as promised. It’s early September and I’m still harvesting the last of my tomatoes, squash, and basil but I know cooler temperatures are around the corner. THIS is exactly what needs to be enjoyed in this moment – the late summer fruit beautifully nestled in a tender cake spiced with fall flavors to come – cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. I’ve tried the similar versions of this cake with strawberry and peach – which are both delicious – but this was my favorite of the three. Thank you Jenn!
The plum cake was perfect and tasted delicious.
Thanks for another good recipe.
This was really delicious. I usually make the plum torte that was published every year in the New York Times, but this is superior in my opinion. The spices make all the difference, especially the cardamom.
Agreed, I made the NYT plum tart and found it a bit plain – not sure why it is the “most requested” recipe. Jen’s recipe is by far more tasty – I used Italian plums fresh off the tree.
I would like to try this with apples for the high holidays. Any suggestions for how to cut the apples? Sliced, chunks or grated???
Thanks so much!
Hi Elaine I actually have a cake very similar to this one that uses apples. You can find it here. Hope you enjoy if you make it!