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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    Published: Mar 1, 2021 · Modified: May 8, 2023 by Paula Montenegro · Income from ads and affiliates

    Fresh Plum Cake

    Jump to Recipe
    Slices of plum cake in white plates, cake on white cake stand, white background, red text
    Top view of whole plum cake on white background; red text overlay

    This is a fantastic and easy cake, with a beautifully moist and dense crumb and a caramel tone from the brown sugar. Topped with a layer of sweet juicy plums that soften just enough to make it irresistible.

    Table of Contents Open
    About this recipe
    Ingredients
    Video tutorial
    My top tips
    Related recipes you might like:
    Fresh Plum cake
    Single slice of plum cake on white plate, a silver fork, white background


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    I found plums in the fridge, so it was time to update this beautiful plum cake I've been making for years now.

    About this recipe

    • It started as a loaf cake, but I found that a round, shorter cake bakes better, and you get more plums because it allows for more wedges on top. A good thing for sure.
    • I made it today with oil, but I sometimes use half butter. They are both excellent, and it depends if you want a quicker mix with oil or insist on some of that butter flavor.
    • Plums work very well with this sweet cake batter because they have a good acid level, but it's a great recipe to use with other stone fruit: peaches, nectarines, apricots and even cherries.
    Top view of whole plum cake on white surface, yellow forks on white plates

    Ingredients

    • Plums. This is a cake made with fresh plums, so use your favorite kind. I like red ones, because they are easily available and juicy.
    • Oil. You want to use a neutral one, like sunflower, so it doesn't overpower the other flavors. Alternatively, you can use half the amount of butter.
    • Eggs: fresh, large.
    • Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper. 
    • White granulated sugar.
    • Brown sugar: light or dark.
    Bowls with ingredients for plum cake, including eggs, orange and vanilla

    Video tutorial

    This cake is very easy to make. There's no need to use a stand mixer, but you totally can. I find it simpler to use the electric hand-held one.



    Slices of plum cake on white plates, cake on white cake stand, white background

    My top tips

    • Organization: always read the recipe before starting and make sure you have all the ingredients measured and at the right temperature, the right pan size, utensils, and enough counter space to work comfortably.
    • Loaf pan: you can use large loaf pan and you will have a taller cake with less fruit on top.
    • Flavorings: plums pair well with cinnamon, cardamom, and almond, so you can add a large pinch of one of the spices and some pure almond extract. Also tangerine zest if you don't have oranges. Or no orange zest and use more spice.
    • Storing: this cake keeps well for several days in the fridge, well wrapped, and can be frozen up to a month. Keep in mind that frozen fruit never comes back to its original state. But it still works.
    • Gluten-free variation: check out our recipe for plum yogurt gluten-free cake.
    Eaten slice of plum cake on a white plate, silver yellow fork, white background

    Related recipes you might like:

    • Silver spoon inside glass dish with plum cobbler.
      Cinnamon Plum Cobbler
    • Slice of plum crumb bars on white plate, liquid cream being poured on top.
      Plum Crumble Bars
    • Single slice of honey almond plum cake on a piece of white paper. Rest of cake in the background.
      Almond Plum Cake
    • White and gold plate with stone fruit, cream and honey
      Honey Grilled Stone Fruit

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    Print
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    View from above of whole plum cake on a white kitchen towel. Yellow forks beside it.

    Fresh Plum cake

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    This is a fantastic and easy cake, with a beautifully moist and dense crumb, with a caramel tone from the brown sugar. A layer of sweet juicy plums is on top that softens just enough to make it irresistible. You can make it with oil or half butter. It comes together quickly.

    • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    • Yield: 8 slices

    Ingredients

    Units
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup sunflower oil, or another neutral one (If you want to use half oil and half butter, see instructions in the Notes, below)
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • ¼ cup regular granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (about ½ a large one)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 6 to 8 purple or red plums, halved, pitted, and cut into wedges
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for sprinkling before baking

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC
    2. Butter or spray a round 8-inch cake pan (22cm).
    3. Working a hand mixer (or stand mixer) in a large bowl, beat the eggs adding the sugar gradually and beating for another 2 minutes, until thick and lighter in color.
    4. Add the oil in a thin stream, beating for a minute or two, until it thickens.
    5. Add the orange zest, vanilla extract and mix well.
    6. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) in 2 parts, mixing only until they are incorporated. You can sift them directly over the oil batter or sift them in a different bowl and then add. 
    7. Run a spatula around the bowl and under the batter, just to make sure there are no dry spots, then scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
    8. Arrange the plums wedges in a circle, or however you want. 
    9. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar on top.
    10. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until top is brown and puffed around the plums that are juicy and wrinkled, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Ovens are all different so it might take a little more or a little less time to fully bake. 
    11. Transfer to a wire rack and cool, then run a knife around the sides of the pan and remove the cake.
    12. Serve at room temperature, plain with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. 

    Notes

    Oil and butter: you can use both instead of only oil. Use ¼ cup of oil and ¼ cup of butter, at room temperature. Beat soft butter with sugar for 2 minutes, then add eggs, one at a time, and then oil in a stream, beating until you have a thick, satiny batter. Follow from step 5 in the recipe above. 

    Organization: always read the recipe before starting and make sure you have all the ingredients measured and at the right temperature, the right pan size, utensils, and enough counter space to work comfortably.

    Loaf pan: you can use large loaf pan and you will have a taller cake with less fruit on top.

    Flavorings: plums pair well with cinnamon, cardamom, and almond, so you can add a large pinch of one of the spices and some pure almond extract. Also tangerine zest if you don't have oranges. Or no orange zest and use more spice.

    Storing: this cake keeps well for several days in the fridge, well wrapped, and can be frozen up to a month. Keep in mind that frozen fruit never comes back to its original state. But it still works.

    Fruit: plums work very well with this sweet cake batter because they have a good acid level, but it's a great recipe to use with other stone fruit: peaches, nectarines, apricots and even cherries.

    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 20
    • Cook Time: 45
    • Category: Cakes
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: â…›
    • Calories: 324
    • Sugar: 23.8 g
    • Sodium: 97.1 mg
    • Fat: 15.2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 43.6 g
    • Protein: 4.3 g
    • Cholesterol: 46.5 mg

    Keywords: plum cake

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    Adapted from Baking from My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

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    About Paula Montenegro

    I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe developer, sharing the best ones here with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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    1. Andrea Haugh says

      September 16, 2021 at 4:01 pm

      Want to try tonight but only have 9 inch pan and one 8 inch square pan. Do I have to buy a 8 inch round pan….?

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        September 17, 2021 at 9:22 am

        Hi Andrea, absolutely not! Use the 8 inch square one. If you use the 9 inch the cake will be shorter and the baking time a little less, so check 10 minutes before the time specified.

        Reply
    2. angiesrecipes says

      March 02, 2021 at 1:51 am

      Tender with perfect moist and so fruity with gorgeous purple plums! I would definitely go for a 2nd piece 🙂

      Reply
    3. Xena says

      October 26, 2012 at 11:52 pm

      I know this post is from February but I just saw this and love the picture. I had tasted my friend's plum cake and really liked it. Since then I'm always looking for good plum cake recipes.

      Reply

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    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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