Plum Cake You’ll Want to Make Time and Again
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This is a Plum Cake recipe you’ll want to make again and again. I have… and do, beginning in September and for as long as fresh plums appear in my market.
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For me, the arrival of plums signals the beginning of fall. The transition from hot summer days into the cozy, cooler days of autumn. Days of brilliantly colored leaves, nips in the air, and savory foods cooking in my kitchen.
A season I wait for all year long for.
And yes… it often begins… and even ends… with a plum cake.
This simple-to-make, beautifully fresh plum cake is one to keep, share, and most definitely make.
Plum Cake Ingredients
This simple cake requires equally simple ingredients you likely have on hand, except maybe the plums. The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cardamom
- Butter (1 stick, 8 tablespoons)
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream
- Fresh plums, pitted and sliced
How to Make This One Layer Easy Plum Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch cake pan. A springform pan works great with this cake!
Step 1: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Combine
With an electric or stand mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar, beating until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and sour cream to the bowl, mix on low speed until just combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
Step 3: Bake
Transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Top with sliced plums and sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the cake top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake while it’s still hot to loosen it from the pan. Let the cake cool completely on a rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
More Cake Recipes
- Easy Strawberry Ricotta Cake Recipe
- Glazed Honey Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
- Strawberry Rhubarb Cake: Simple and Delicious
- Sweet Tea Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake
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A Plum Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, 8 tablespoons
- 1 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2-3 plums pitted and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch cake pan. A springform pan works great with this cake!
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom.
- With an electric or stand mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar, beating until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and sour cream to the bowl, mix on low speed until just combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Top with sliced plums and sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the cake top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake while it’s still hot to loosen it from the pan. Let the cake cool completely on a rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I banged the crap out of this recipe. Wow, had a blast making this cake!!! Easy, peasy to come together and looks great. I added a squeeze of lemon and some zest, as well as turbo sugar on the topping to give it pop. Baked it out and wow! Too good to share. We all have been there, haven’t we? Have to eat this one all by myself. Maybe I can get away with saying “it’s a mistake”, but everyone is already on to that one. Help me, Ms. Stephanie! I need a new excuse to keep this scrumptious treat to myself! LOL. Easy and fun. In the line-up now as a regular fall item because something this good I can also sell. Oh yeah!
Hi, Clint- thank you so much for trying the cake! I’m so glad you enjoyed it— I love it too!
I made this cake today, it smells so good! I can’t wait to taste it. It is beautiful.
Hi Angela! Thank you for trying the plum cake. I love this recipe and am thrilled you tried it!
This cake is so good! I had to sub yogurt for sour cream but other than that, made as directed. It really will be one of those recipes I make again and again. I can’t wait to try it with pears in the fall.
Hi AndreaJane! I LOVE this cake and did see a fresh batch of plums in the market today. I’m just behind you, but will be baking it this week too. I’m so glad you enjoyed it– and I love your substitution of yogurt! Thank you for trying it.
I pretty much gave up baking 15 years ago when kids had flown the nest and I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. I have only recently found gluten free 1 for 1 flour on the shelf and decided to give this recipe a try. Texture is a little grainy,asI jad been told, and I upped the cardamom…again, on recommendation for GF flour. But it is so light and tasty. It is a treat to have home baked goods and I wanted to let you know it can work for GF diets too. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Maria! Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story. Baking is such a pleasure and I’m thrilled you found a flour that can work for you. I often substitute this flour and it works with almost any baking recipe.
Thanks for the update, I am also trying to bake gluten free and it helps to know it has worked for someone else.
Hi Stephanie!
Could you substitute the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt?
Hi Natalie! You can absolutely substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Use a 1:1 ratio.
Can almond flour be substituted for the A/P flour in this recipe. Will it change anything.
Hi Nancy, I have not tested this specific recipe with almond flour. However, it is a general consensus that almond flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio. However, almond flour retains more moisture than AP flour, so adding almond flour to the mix may be necessary. I would begin by using the same measurement and adjust as necessary.
Your recipe looks amazing and can’t wait to make it. How far in advance can I make it??
Hi Katie! Thank you so much— this cake is always a favorite. You can definitely make in advance. It stores at room temperature for up to 3 days (although it’s always best when freshly baked). You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely and then double wrap tightly (plastic wrap and foil) for extra protection.
3 large eggs sounds like a lot; most plum cake recipes I’ve come across just use one. Is that an error?
Hi Jill, three eggs is correct.
Hi! Would this work with sour plums? I bought a basket of plums but they are too sour 🙁 and I’m trying to find something to do with them! Thanks!
Hi Steph! I hate it when that happens! I don’t think the recipe will work if you have sour green plums. If they’re unripe plums that haven’t sweetened yet, they should work. I did come across a recipe for sour plum jam and another for Sour Plum Upside Down Cake, which is similar to this one, but is specifically written for sour plums. I’d love to hear how you use them!
Stephanie, what type of plum did you use? We have an Italian plum tree so our plums are smaller so 2-3 plums doesn’t sound like enough. I don’t want to ruin the cake with too much juice from the plums if i add more. Whst is your advice please? Thank you so much.
Hi Dolly! You are SO fortunate to have an Italian plum tree! I love to make chutney with those. As far as the number of plums to use, I would slice them and arrange in a circular pattern, not overcrowding the plums, but making a nice design. Plums come in so many different sizes that I use the number of plums necessary to fill out the top of the cake.
Thanks so much Stephanie!!!
You’re welcome!! Hope you like it ❤️
Having a Polish husband, one of his all time favourites is a plum cake. After trying several different recipes over the years, we have finally found a winner!! Moist cake for me with a juicy plum top. Made a few tweaks, less sugar in the batter and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top and used yogurt instead of sour cream because I didn’t have any on hand. The title of this is true… we’re in the middle of plum season right now and I’ll be making this over and over again! Thanks!
Love your recipes and menus. got me kick-started again. It is winter in Australia so will have to wait awhile. Thanks
Thank you! It’s been really warm here in August. Winter is sounding very welcome to me! You live in a beautiful place! Glad you found some ideas for later 😍😍!
I had some plums in my Refrigerator and decided to look for a recipe. I do not have cardamom but my son looks for a substitute and found that I can use nutmeg. Do not now what changed as this is the first time doing the recipe but the true is that I am so happy that I made this….yummy yummy… For sure will have to do it again. Love this recipe. Recommended!
Hi Sandra! I’m so glad you like the Plum Cake. It’s a favorite at our house too — and nutmeg is a fabulous substitution!! Thanks for letting us know!
Love your recipes!!
Thank you!! 😍
I had some plums in my Refrigerator and decided to look for a recipe. I do not have cardamom but my son looks for a substitute and found that I can use nutmeg. Do not now what changed as this is the first time doing the recipe but the true is that I am so happy that I made this….yummy yummy… For sure will have to do it again. Love this recipe. Recommended!
I made this tonight and it was wonderful. Easy and very tasty, will be making it again. Thanks for posting this recipe
Thank you so much, Marjorie! It’s one of my favorites too. And simple to adapt to other fruit.
I did use nectarines & it was a hit with all. Though I think plums would be better with the cardamon. The cardamon almost overpowers the sweet citrusy taste of nectarines. I also will try pears and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Great recipe. Thanks.
Couldn’t find plums quite yet here. I’m going to try it with nectarines. What do you think? Any suggestions?
The cake base looks yummy, so I’m thinking any stone fruit will work.
Thanks.
Hi PattiAnn! Nectarines would be a perfect substitute. You’ve inspired me — I have to try it too!
I did use nectarines & it was a hit with all. Though I think plums would be better with the cardamon. The cardamon almost overpowers the sweet citrusy taste of nectarines. I also will try pears and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Great recipe. Thanks.
You’re right. I didn’t think about the cardamom and peaches. Reducing it and perhaps adding a bit of cinnamon would be delicious! And pears is a great idea!
Simple but exquisite!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa!