How To Make Spiced Plum Cake – Perfect For Fall Baking

 

I adore plums. Simply put, they are one of my favorite fruits. Fresh or cooked. You can get some really lovely ones that are grown locally at this time of year.  Perfect for showcasing in this lovely cake.

Tucked into the buttery batter of this cake, the plums bake into rich almost jam-like pockets of deliciousness. Gently spiced with warm baking spices, this beautiful cake is THE perfect cake for the month of September, when summer is transitioning into autumn. 

 

It is filled with the lovely flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom which contrast beautifully with the fruit, which manages to be both tart and sweet at the same time.  The spice adds a lovely warmth to this cake that cannot be beaten!

 

For brunch or for dessert, this is one cake you really won't want to miss out on. I like to serve it while it is still slightly warm, with some pouring cream, but ice cream, whipped cream, or even warm custard also work very well with it.

 

This is a delicious cake that is as at home on the tea table with a hot drink on the side as it is on the dessert table. Rustic and cozy, it is sure to go down a real treat no matter how or when you choose to serve it!

 

WHAT YOU NEED 

TO MAKE SPICED PLUM CAKE

Just a few simple everyday baking cupboard ingredients and some fresh fruit.

• 210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg and ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 115g butter softened, plus more to butter the pan (1/2 cup)
• 190g white sugar, plus 2 TBS, divided (1 cup + 2TBS, divided)
• 1 large free range egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 120ml whole milk (1/2 cup)
• 1-pound fresh plums, pitted and quartered

 

I use plain all-purpose flour. I don't recommend using self-rising flour as the amount of leavening in the self-rising flour will be slightly off versus the amount of baking powder required.

Make sure your spices are not old or out of date for the best possible flavor.

In the U.K. I would use caster sugar. In North America granulated sugar is okay. I use Kirkland organic granulated sugar.

I use salted butter.  You can use unsalted if you wish. I make it a habit to use what I always have in the house. If you are worried about the batter being too salty (it isn't I promise you), you can always adjust the amount of salt required.

I use large eggs and pure vanilla extract. I like the flavor of the pure extract better than the artificial stuff.

There is no need to peel the plums.

HOW TO MAKE

SPICED PLUM CAKE 

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan really well and dust with flour, shaking out any excess. Set aside. (You can use an ordinary deep 9-inch round pan if that is all you have. I would line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang to help with lifting the finished cake out when done.)
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Stir in the salt. Set aside. (This is important as it will distribute the leavening and spices evenly through the flour.)
3. Cream the butter and 190g/1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, adding a spoonful of the flour mixture if it starts to curdle. (Beating the sugar in until the mixture is light and fluffy ensures that the sugar is properly mixed into the fat and you don't end up with a granular mixture.)
4. Add the milk alternately with the flour mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, levelling it off. Scatter the plums over top decoratively. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 TBS of sugar. (I pushed the wedges down into the batter in a circular pattern, evenly spaced.)
5. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake. (It may be a bit damp with a few moist crumbs, due to the damp nature of the fruit.)
6. Run a knife carefully around the edge of the cake to loosen and then loosen the sides of the pan. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges to serve. (You can dust this with icing sugar if you want to pretty it up a bit!)

 

HOW TO SERVE

SPICED PLUM CAKE

The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.  This cake is delicious served with lashings of pouring cream (half and half or heavy cream), whipped cream, warm custard sauce, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

On this occasion I used pouring cream, in the British way. Unsweetened. It was delicious.

 

 

HINTS & TIPS FOR SUCCESS

If you follow my hints and tips there is no reason why this cake should not work out beautifully for you.

• Read through the recipe a few times to familiarize yourself with the ingredients needed and any instructions, oven temps, pan size, etc.
• Measure all of the ingredients precisely. I prefer to measure by weight myself as it is the most accurate. If using cup measures, spoon the dry ingredients into the measuring cup and then level off with a straight edge. Use a dedicated wet measuring cup to measure any liquids.
• Wash your fruit well before using to get rid of any pesticides of insect debris. Check it over well and discard any fruit that is bruised or overripe.
• Use the correct sized pan and grease it well. 

  

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS ABOUT SPICED PLUM CAKE 

DO I NEED TO USE FULLY RIPE PLUMS TO MAKE THIS CAKE?

Not at all. In fact, this is the perfect cake to use those plums you buy that stay hard and don't seem to ripen up no matter what. This cake will bring out the best of those.

CAN I USE FROZEN FRUIT TO MAKE THIS CAKE?

I never have so I cannot say for sure. If using frozen, I would recommend thawing it first and then patting it dry with some paper towels.

CAN THIS CAKE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

I do not recommend baking this cake any more than a day ahead because of the fresh fruit.

CAN THIS CAKE BE FROZEN?

I have never tried, but I do believe because of the amount of fruit in this cake that it would not freeze very well.

CAN THIS CAKE BE MADE WITH ANY OTHER KIND OF FRUIT?

I think you could use any kind of stone fruit to make this cake. Apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, etc. or even a mix.  Cherries would be nice mixed with ripe peaches or nectarines.

CAN I USE SELF RISING FLOUR?

I never have so I cannot recommend or say one way or the other, not having done so myself.

 

SOME OTHER

DELICIOUS WAYS TO BAKE

WITH RIPE PLUMS

If you are a fan of cooking with plums you might enjoy these other recipes I have shared through the years:

PLUM & HAZELNUT CRUMBLE SLICE - This slice has a nutty buttery base almost like a pastry, and then a layer of hazelnut cake, stogged full of lovely plums. The whole thing is topped with a crunchy nutty streusel. Moreishly scrummy!!

PLUM FUDGE PUDDINGS - Delicious single serving puddings made with simple ingredients. Fresh bread crumbs, thinly sliced fresh plums, butter, cream, honey and a bit of brown sugar and spice. After making a very simple fudge sauce of butter, cream and honey . . . you simply layer everything up in little ramekins . . . and then bake.

  

Pin this recipe to your Baking, Cake, Dessert or Teatime boards on Pinterest and remember to FOLLOW ME on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram! 

That way you can be assured that you are always up to date with fresh content as soon as I post it. You can also sign up to receive a weekly newsletter from Grow. Thank you! 

    

Yield: 8

Author: Marie Rayner

Spiced Plum Cake

A beautiful cake that is perfect served for brunch with hot cups of coffee or as a dessert with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

ingredients:

• 210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg and ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 115g butter softened, plus more to butter the pan (1/2 cup)
• 190g white sugar, plus 2 TBS, divided (1 cup + 2TBS, divided)
• 1 large free range egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 120ml whole milk (1/2 cup)
• 1 pound fresh plums, pitted and quartered

instructions:

How to cook Spiced Plum Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan really well and dust with flour, shaking out any excess. Set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Stir in the salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and 190g/1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, adding a spoonful of the flour mixture if it starts to curdle. Add the milk alternately with the flour mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, levelling it off. Scatter the plums over top decoratively. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 TBS of sugar.
4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
5. Run a knife carefully around the edge of the cake to loosen, and then loosen the sides of the pan. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices to serve. You can dust this with icing sugar if you want to pretty it up a bit!

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of  The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: theenglishkitchen@mail.com

Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!  

 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.