Plum Cake

Simple vanilla cake, topped with fresh plums that bake up sweet and soft, this Plum Cake is the perfect summer afternoon (or breakfast) cake!

What kind of plums are best for a plum cake?

Any plums will work for this plum cake! This cake is great because the plums don’t have to be perfectly ripe as they will ripen slightly while baking.

Can you freeze Plum cake?

You can freeze plum cake; however I recommend eating it fresh as the plums will become soggy during the defrosting process.

What can I use instead of sour cream?

In this cake, you can substitute greek yogurt, quark, or skyr in place of the sour cream to keep it rich and moist.

How do I know when the plum cake is finished baking?

This cake will become golden brown and once it is finished baking, a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Tips for Plum Cake

• Make sure all of the ingredients for the cake are at room temperature, this will help them blend quickly and smoothly without over mixing the batter.
• The plums should be cut thin but not too thin. Better they are too thick because it will help them retain their moisture.
• This recipe has only been tested in a conventional oven so I don’t recommend baking it on a convection setting.
• Don’t underbake this plum cake, it should get a nice golden brown color on top!

Additional Cake Recipes to try!

• Gugelhupf (German Yeast Bundt Cake)
• Marmorkuchen (Marble Bundt Cake)
• Sachertorte Loaf Cake

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this cake, I use King Arthur all-purpose flour! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Sugar: This plum cake only uses granulated sugar in the cake batter, I also like to dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These both help make the cake rise – make sure to check the expiration date! If they are expired, they won’t be very effective.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor and enhances the sweetness.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store, make sure they are at room temperature.
• Sour Cream: Sour cream adds richness and moisture to the cake. You can also use greek yogurt, quark, or skyr.
• Butter: Butter adds moisture and richness to this cake.
• Plums: This cake uses fresh plums, the size will determine how many you need!

How to make Plum Cake?

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Vanilla Cake Batter

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
• Add in the sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Using the paddle attachment, on high speed – start slow, beat together all the ingredients for 30 seconds – until light and fluffy.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper or grease with a baking spray. If you don’t have a springform pan, a standard cake pan will work as well.
• Pour the vanilla batter into the lined pan.

Assemble and Bake the Plum Cake

• Wash and cut the plums in half, then remove the stones. Slice the halves into 1/4″ slices (can be thicker if you prefer).
• Arrange the sliced plums, skin side up, onto the top of the vanilla batter. Slightly fan out the slices so that a little of the inside of the plum is showing.
• Continue to add plums until most of the surface is covered, I used 4 small plums here.
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Once the cake is finished baking, let it cool for 10 minutes before running a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Release the spring form and remove the cake from the pan to cool for at least 20 more minutes.
• Optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving.