Plum Cake - Easy, Simple Favourite

Recipe: Plum Cake Recipe »

This easy plum cake is the perfect way to use seasonal plums. Made in one bowl with no mixer, it combines wholemeal and plain flour for a super tender, buttery crumb. Juicy plums peek through the top with a crunchy sugar finish. This is a reliable cake you'll bake again and again!

About This Plum Cake

This plum cake makes the most of this season's glorious plums in the most simple cake recipe. The rubied plums peek out from underneath the topping. The cake base is actually from one of my most popular cakes: the easy apple tea cake and pear tea cake. It's made with a mix of wholemeal flour and plain white flour and doesn't require any special equipment to make, just a bowl and a spoon to mix it all together. It's one of those cakes that you have to have up your sleeve!

The best plums to use in this are ones that have a deep purple colour but that's purely an aesthetic thing. I used Queen Garnet plums which are an Australian type of plum that were created in Queensland. You can also use blood plums or black plums.

Video How To Make Plum Cake

Video: How to Make an Easy Plum Cake

Ingredients For Plum Cake

Flour - We use two types of flour: cake flour and wholemeal flour. Cake flour is found at the supermarket or you can make it yourself. It produces softer cakes as it has a lower protein level.

Baking powder - To give the cake a nice rise. Check that your baking powder is still in date if you don't use it often.

Sugar - We use caster/superfine sugar in the cake batter so that it melts into the butter easier but on top we use raw sugar for a nice textural crunch.

Butter - Y'all know me! Salted butter all the way but especially for sweets.

Egg - Use a large egg.

Vanilla - Use vanilla paste or extract if budget allows or even vanilla essence will work. Can also sub the vanilla with cinnamon or pumpkin spice mix.

Plums - The star of the show! Choose firm plums as they will slice easier. I used Queen Garnet plums but any plum variety works. See tip below if you only have soft plums

Tips For Making Plum Cake

1 - I have a tip if you only have soft plums. Semi freeze the plums so that they are easier to slice. It really works as they don't need to retain their shape once baked!

2 - If you love your desserts on the sweeter side, use 4 tablespoons of raw sugar. I use 3 tablespoons of sugar. It also depends on the sweetness of the plums.

3 - We sweat this cake to make it super moist. This super easy step just means that we cover the cake with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven so that the steam doesn't escape but it gets trapped inside the cake. I steam all my cakes!

4 - This cake can be quite delicate when first baked so don't try and remove the parchment from under it straight away. It will firm up upon cooling.

5 - I LOVE this plum cake served with vanilla ice cream.

6 - This cake can keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It's a great cake as it stays moist.

I love plums so I often bake with them. Other plum recipes to try next are: Plum Galette (a personal favourite), Plum Tarte Tatin and Plum Streusel Cake.

Plum Cake Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 8 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients Needed

• 110g/3.9oz cake flour
• 110g/3.9oz wholemeal flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 165g/5.8oz caster or superfine sugar
• 125g/4.4oz melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 500g/1.1lb plums, cut into chunks
• 3-4 tablespoons raw sugar (depending on sweetness of plums)

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 PREP - Preheat oven to 160C/320F fan forced or 180C/350F conventional. Line a 20cm/8inch round springform tin.

Step 2 BATTER - In a large bowl whisk together the two types of flour with the baking powder and sugar. Whisk the egg and vanilla into the melted butter and then add into flour mixture with a spatula to combine.

Step 3 BAKE - Press three quarters of this mixture into the base of the tin. Then cover with the plum pieces. Take small pieces of the batter and dot on top of the plums letting them peek out. Sprinkle with raw sugar and bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden. Cover the cake in tin with foil to "sweat" the cake and keep it moist and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Substitution notes:

Use any sort of stone fruit for this. Apples and pears are also delicious with this.

Personal Note

I know that daylight savings is coming to an end any day now but the dappled light at around 5:30pm in my kitchen is so nice and I will miss it a lot when things switch over after Easter. I love taking pictures in this light.

It's not just us that hate it when the time changes. Try explaining Daylight Savings to the dogs. Milo and Teddy have their body clocks set for 5:30pm exactly. If we are both busy working in our respective offices Milo will often walk in. He's not pushy but he is looking to see if anything is happening.

"Can you come back at 5:45pm?" I ask him patting his furry little face. He loves it when I massage his "chops".

And at 5:45pm, not 5.44 or 5:46pm Milo headed back into my office! How am I supposed to explain the new time to him when he has such a good body clock and can tell time?

So tell me Dear Reader, are you looking forward to the change in time? And do you like plums?