This almond plum cake is quick and easy to put together and packed full of plums and spices that make you dream of fall. The cake is moist, sweet and tangy from the plums; the perfect accompaniment to your favourite hot drink in the afternoon.
What comes to your mind when you think of autumn/fall? For us it’s definitely cosy, warming spices, hot drinks, snuggly blankets and comforting baking. This almond plum cake ticks many of those boxes - just get cosied up and enjoy a slice or two! It's unbelievably easy to put together as well. If you want more fall baking inspiration check out our Maple Pecan Pear Cake and Pear Crumble.
Plums are one of the most underrated fruits. We love that there are so many different varieties. They elevate this almond plum cake to another level and provide the perfect level of moisture without making the cake soggy. This cake is also easily made gluten free, just follow the tips below.
This almond plum cake was heavily adapted from our Cherry Almond Polenta Cake which you absolutely need to try too. It’s to die for and one of the most popular recipes on the site. After you’ve made this delicious cake, let us know what you think in the comments and don’t forget to give it a rating! ❤️
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⭐ Why you'll love this recipe
Some more reasons you need this almond plum cake in your lives:
Soft and moist - the crumb is soft but perfectly moist, giving you a delicious cake that'll keep you going back for more.
Tried & tested - this almond plum cake has been tested many, many times to ensure that the cooking times, texture and flavour are just perfect.
Autumn spices - we're using the most warming and comforting autumn spices. Cinnamon, ginger and allspice go perfectly with the almonds and plums in this cake.
Seasonal plums - we definitely encourage you to celebrate the wonderful plums that are currently in season. Their tangy sweetness makes this cake.
Gluten free - this cake is easily made gluten free and has been tested to ensure it works. Perfect for those who need it.
📋 Ingredients
This almond plum cake can be made with simple ingredients that are readily available at most supermarkets. Here's what you’ll need:
Almond flour - we use a fine blanched almond flour which gives the cake a lighter texture than using regular ground almonds which tend to be a bit coarser in texture, but both would work nicely.
All purpose flour - you can use a standard all purpose flour, check out the gluten free customizations for an easy substitution if you have a gluten intolerance.
Spices - you’ll need ground cinnamon, ginger and allspice to make this cake. The absolute perfect combination of spices for your fall baking.
Plums - we use firm, sweet plums which when baked in the cake release a lovely sweetness and tartness into every bite.
📖 Customizations
We know you love to mix it up a bit so here are some suggestions for you to customize our almond plum cake:
Make it gluten free - if you're looking for a great gluten free almond plum cake option, here it is! You’ll just need to directly substitute gluten free all purpose flour instead of the all purpose flour in the recipe card.
Muffins - not up for a big cake to slice up? You can divide the mix into muffin cases and bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. This recipe makes 12 muffins which are perfect for sharing around. You can also cut the recipe in half and only make 6 muffins if you prefer.
Change up the fruit - if you fancy changing up the fruit, why not try using fresh cherries or a peach? We haven’t tested these fruits with this specific recipe. If you give it a go, be sure to let us know how you get on in the comments!
🔪 How to make plum cake
This almond plum cake is so simple to put together you’ll be kicking back and smelling the sweet spices drifting from your oven in no time. Follow these simple photo steps to put this cake together:
- Mix the ground almonds, all purpose flour, caster sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs with the cooled melted butter, vanilla extract and almond extract in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients. Stir the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
- Stir the diced plums throughout the almond cake batter.
- Pour the batter into a prepared 8 x 8 inch cake tin and spread evenly. Place the 16 slices of reserved plum on top and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
- Bake in the preheated fan/convection oven at 160oC/320oF or conventional oven at 180oC/350oF for 60-70 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
👩🍳 Expert tips
Follow these expert tips to ensure you success every single time when you make this almond plum cake:
Tip #1 - make sure your melted butter is cool before mixing with the eggs otherwise it will start to cook them. Whisk in the extracts quickly to the egg and butter mixture as the extracts are usually ethanol based (depending on what brand you have) which can start to cook your eggs too.
Tip #2 - make sure you get the diced plum stirred evenly throughout the batter so you get plum in every bite.
Tip #3 - insert your toothpick into the thickest part of the cake near a plum on the top, you’ll be able to tell the cake is done when it’s set just at the edge of the plums in the centre.
💭 FAQs
You can either serve the almond plum cake warm or once it has fully cooled. Once it is completely cool, you can store it in an airtight container for up to four days. It is best to store in the fridge after the first day or two if you plan to keep it for this long.
Yes, you can. Slice the cake up into portions, wrap well and store in an airtight container in the freezer. Defrost for 30-60 minutes before eating or warm through in the oven.
If you don't have an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) square baking pan, you can use a 9 inch (23cm) round tin instead. If you have a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23cm) square baking pan, please note that this will be too big and your cake will be quite thin. It will still work, but you'll have to start checking for doneness earlier.
🍽 More cakes we know you’ll love...
Love this plum cake recipe? Then you may want more of our baking recipes. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
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📖 Recipe
Almond Plum Cake (Gluten Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups almond flour, 250 g
- 1 cup all purpose flour or gluten free all purpose flour, 120 g
- ¾ cup caster sugar, 150 g
- ½ cup light brown sugar, 100 g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 medium eggs
- ⅞ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, (200g or 14 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Mix-ins/Toppings
- 4 medium plums, 280 g, see notes for preparation
- ¼ cup flaked almonds, 20g
Instructions
- Preheat fan oven to 160°C/320°F or conventional oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and line the base of a 8x8 square cake tin with parchment paper.
- Place the ground almonds, plain flour, caster sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.2 ½ cups almond flour, 1 cup all purpose flour or gluten free all purpose flour, ¾ cup caster sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the melted butter, vanilla extract and almond extract.¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 4 medium eggs, ⅞ cup unsalted butter
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
- Add the diced plums to the cake batter and stir throughout until evenly distributed.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 medium plums
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out. Scatter or arrange the plums over the top, followed by the flaked almonds.½ teaspoon almond extract, ¼ cup flaked almonds
- Bake for 60-70 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in tin for 30 minutes before removing. Can serve warm or cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Prepare the plums by dicing 140g (2 plums) into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes and slice the remaining 2 plums into 16 wedges for the top.
- Cool the melted butter first so it doesn't cook the eggs when mixing together.
- You can make this cake into muffins by splitting the mixture between 12 muffin cases.
Arlene says
I have made this twice do far. It is a keeper. The recipe makes two 6 inch round cakes so I freeze one of them. It is DELICIOUS. I made it for Christmas day and everyone loved it.
Arlene says
EXCELLENT! I made it in two 6" round pans where bottom comes out. Plums were from my tree. Baked it for 55 minutes. Cut it horizontally and put almond paste in the middle. Used fine sugar instead of caster sugar. I didn't have allspice so I used apple pie spice. Got rave reviews. One friend said it was the best cake I have ever made. Wish I could attach a picture. It looks lovely.
Jonathan says
You were so right about the zingy plums as they bake! Lovely cake 🙂
G says
It's next on my list to bake 🙂