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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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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Comments
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Fantastic cake!
I made a dairy-free version that worked perfectly. I substituted in coconut milk (could also use cashew/almond/soy milk) and margarine instead of the milk and butter.
Also used Italian plums, though I’d suggest halfing (not quartering) them since they’re smaller.
Thanks! Will check out your book
My plum cake just came out of the oven and looks great! Wish I had icecream to go with it.
I made this with peaches and it was so good and simple to make. I made it in a pie plate and it was a tad overdone at 60 min but it was still delicious (and so pretty)!
Hi Jenn,
The Late Summer Plum Cake is fantastic. It is easy to make and very delicious. I experimented and used 1/2 cup sugar instead of 1 cup. It was perfect for us.
Jenn, you have a great reputation at home. When I say I’m trying a new recipe and it’s by you, I get no objections. All your recipes have proven to be first rate. I love your cookbook.
Carol – September 16, 2018
❤️
It was PERFECT!!!
Hi Jenn,
Hope you had a great summer! I’ve made your strawberry cake and it’s amazing. Decided to try this plum cake for the holiday, but cannot find cardamom in my market…since it’s so late and I’d like to make now, can I just leave it out or sub something else? Thanks so much! And a Happy and Healthy New Year to you!
Hi Diane, no worries – you can just use a bit more cinnamon or nutmeg in its place. Hope you enjoy the cake and happy new year!
This recipe is a derivative of the NY Times all time favorite and most requested recipe. It didn’t originate as a strawberry cake, but was and still is a traditional plum recipe since the 1960s (?). A revision was called the New Age Plum Tort and used banana as a healthy alternative to butter. Please give credit where it is due . . . not to Martha Stewart!
Hi Nancy, There are a limited number of truly original cakes! The NYT did not invent the idea of a plum cake. There are some meaningful differences between the classic Marian Burros NYT recipe and this one, including the basic ingredient proportions, the addition of milk and the type of plums! Jenn’s premise for many of her recipes is that she is testing and deriving the very best variation of a known dish, and I have generally found she is remarkably successful in doing that.
My son is asking for a peach/plum cake for his birthday – would this work if a did 1/2 plums, 1/2 peaches?
Yes, definitely, Cindy – enjoy!
Fantastic! Instructions were spot on. I made sure the egg was at room temp and butter completely softened, weighed the flour, and added 1/2 tsp of almond extract and it came out wonderfully. Tender and perfectly balanced between the warm spices, tartness of the plums, and the sweet crisp of the vanilla sugar sprinkled on top.
This is a wonderful recipe. It makes the perfect base for a variety of fruit toppings. Always turns out perfect and I add my own flavors and everyone LOVES this bakery perfect cake. Thank you!!!