Plum Cake Recipe

Top view of partially sliced plum cake with a silver server and visible plum slices.

This easy Sour Cream Plum Cake is tender, buttery, and filled with fresh sliced plums and warm cinnamon and cardamom. A simple one-layer cake for late-summer baking, afternoon tea, or dessert.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Servings: servings

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup butter 1 stick, 8 tablespoons
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablelspoons for topping
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ 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 eggs, 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.

Notes

Plums: Use ripe but still firm plums so they hold their shape as the cake bakes. Depending on size, you may need several plums to cover the top.
Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream gives the cake its tender, moist crumb. Plain Greek yogurt can work as a substitute if needed.
Pan: A 9-inch springform pan makes the cake easiest to remove, but a regular 9-inch cake pan also works well.
Serving: Let the cake cool before dusting with confectioners’ sugar. Serve as is or with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Storage: Store the cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for longer storage and bring to room temperature before serving.

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