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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- 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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What level of ripeness should the plums or peaches be? Can they be pretty firm still or do they have to be pretty ripe and more soft to the touch? Does it make a difference in the final product? Thanks for any thoughts!
Hi Diane, I think they are best when just ripe and slightly soft to the touch.
This is so easy and the flavor of the cake alone is great. Will try with peaches next.
I baked this cake and it was sooo good. The house smelled great when I baked it and my family loved it. Thank you very much for sharing this amazing recipe :).
Can I use dairy substitutes as I am lactose intolerant?
Hi Roberta, I haven’t prepared this with dairy substitutes, but if you’ve used them successfully in other baking, I suspect they would work here. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Such a delicious cake. I’ve made it 3 times and its been a hit each time. Although have swapped the cardamom for ginger, as i didn’t have ground cardamom the first time and the ginger works so well.
I was a little hesitant about making this but with plums looking good at the market, I decided to give it a go. It turned out so delicious, despite me messing up how I made it. I thought for sure it was a bust because of my mistake but it was flawless. My husband said the areas with no plums tasted just like the entemanns crumb cake. Everyone who tried it loved it. Can’t wait to make it again
Hi Jenn,
I hope this message finds you and yours well. I made this cake for my family, and it was a huge hit, absolutely delicious! As plums are out of season, can I substitute frozen peaches? If so, should they be defrosted first? As always, thanks for your wonderful recipes, and expert advise. ?
Hi Vicki, So glad you liked the cake! And yes, I think peaches would work nicely here. I’d suggest defrosting them first and draining off any extra liquid.
Hi Jenn. I had such fun making this plum cake. I substituted a gluten free flour and the texture of the cake was great. I was worried that it wouldn’t work, but it did!
Folks at the dinner seemed to enjoy the cake a lot. And the gluten free diners were really appreciative.
To MY taste, the cake was too sweet. And I was hoping for more of a tangy, plum taste.
I will definitely try this recipe again, although perhaps with a different fruit next time. Cranberry?
What do you think about how I might tone down the sweetness. AND would the top still come out crusty, if I left out the sugar on top of the plums?
I know, many questions. LOVE that you are responsive to your subscribers thoughts and inquiries. And your recipes are so easy to follow. Thank you. -Kate
Hi Kate, Glad you liked the cake! To tone down the sweetness, you could cut the sugar for the base of the cake back by about 1/4 cup. If you omit the sugar on top, it would not have that crusty layer. And while I think that just cranberries would make the cake too tart, a combination of plums and cranberries would be nice.
Jenn, that sounds perfect! Cranberries and plums. Thank you so much for addressing all of my questions.
And congratulations on finishing your recipe book.
Best, Kate
And, shall I leave the skins on the plums? I will be making this dessert for a Rosh Hashana dinner this Sunday, October 2, 2016, so I am hoping to get some answers before terribly long!
No need to peel the plums, Kate – the skin softens nicely as the cake bakes. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for your quick response. I am so looking forward to trying your recipe! I have used your recipes before and they are always lovely. Loved the one this summer: peaches, cheese, prosciutto, and basil. I will make that again, no doubt.
And might I be so bold as to guess that a Happy New Year salutation might be in order for you, as well!
Thanks, Kate!
I just noticed your
favorite recipes for Rosh Hashana. Yay. I will definitely look them over in for future years. What a lovely idea to post this subject. Thank you again.
Will a 10 inch springform pan be large enough???
Hi Kate, A 10-inch pan is actually a bit too large. I would use a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or cake pan if you don’t have the proper size springform. A 10-inch would work, but the cake would be quite flat.