Say goodbye to summer in the best way with this easy plum cake recipe from my friend Andy Baraghani’s new cookbook, The Cook You Want to Be. You’ll love how light, tender, and moist it is! Perfect for brunch with a little ice cream or even a dollop of labneh

slice of fresh plum cake on a blue and white plate with a fork.

To me, plum cake is the perfect homemade dessert to say goodbye to summer and usher in fall. This recipe for plum cake from my friend, Andy Baraghani’s new cookbook, The Cook You Want to Be, is so worth a try because it’s easy and with only eight ingredients you probably have the essentials you need already. (A little side note, it was hard to select just one recipe from Andy’s book, but this cake ultimately won!)

Thanks to a little buttermilk, this cake is tender and – dare I say the “m word”? – moist with a subtle nuttiness from pistachios (or almonds, if you prefer) whizzed in a food processor until finely crushed into a coarse, sandy powder. I’m a sucker for pistachios in desserts and you’ll find me using them a good bit in recipes like baklava and this Greek orange honey cake. They add a depth of flavor and texture that I truly love. But the star of the show in this cake recipe is undoubtedly fresh, juicy plums.  

Sweet-tart plums take a simple vanilla cake recipe to the next level! You’ll want to use plums that are still quite firm — ripe, but not too soft — so they keep their shape while the cake bakes. Plums that are too soft will simply turn mushy instead of jammy, and you definitely want some good chunks of fruit in your cake! 

plum cake in a cake tin with fresh plums in the background.

Ingredients and notes 

This plum cake needs just a few simple baking staples, fresh plums, and nuts. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this tender plum cake recipe:

  • Pistachios or blanched almonds – Make sure the pistachios are shelled before quickly whizzing them in the food processor with granulated sugar.
  • Sugar – Regular granulated white sugar is my go-to here. Brown sugar would work as well, but it does have a stronger flavor, which might impact how the cake tastes. 
  • Butter – You need room temperature (68 to 70 degrees F) unsalted butter, cut into cubes. Room temperature butter is key here. When sugar and butter are creamed together, the sharp sugar crystals create air pockets in the butter, which in turn aerates the cake batter. In other words, for an airy cake, make sure your butter isn’t coming straight out of the fridge! 
  • Egg – Since the butter is at room temperature, make sure your egg is as well. 
  • Buttermilk – Like the egg and butter, allow this to come to room temperature before you use it. If the buttermilk is cold, it will cause the butter to harden up again. Buttermilk cuts the sweetness of the cake and makes it rich and buttery. The acid in it also works with baking powder to help the cake rise. 
  • Vanilla extract – Vanilla acts as a flavor enhancer, amplifying the other ingredients and adding depth.
  • All-purpose flour – You can use gluten-free flour if you avoid gluten, but the cake will likely be more dense. Be sure to use a flour that is a 1:1 swap, like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. 
  • Baking powder – To help the plum cake rise. 
  • Kosher salt – Salt is another flavor enhancer, bringing complexity to the taste of the cake. 
  • Plums – You need a pound of ripe, firm pitted plums. For a more rustic look, simply tear them up. For something more elegant, slice the plums into equal-sized pieces.  
  • Turbinado sugar – This is optional, if you want a crackly golden topping on the cake.  
labeled ingredients for plum cake including buttermilk, lour, sugar, salt, yeast, pistachios, butter, egg, and sliced plums.

How to make plum cake

This is one of those recipes that looks difficult, but actually comes together in just a few simple steps! Here’s how to make this recipe for plum cake:

  • Prepare a springform pan. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan and lightly butter and flour it to prevent sticking. Or you can simply line the pan with parchment paper. If you don’t have a springform pan, a regular 9-inch cake pan will work, too. Simply leave some overhang with the parchment paper so you can lift the cake out.
  • Blend wet ingredients. Fit a large bowl of a food processor with a blade and add 1/2 cup shelled pistachios or blanched almonds and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Pulse until the nuts have a sandy texture, somewhat like a very coarse flour. Add ½ cup unsalted cubed butter and the rest of the granulated sugar (you need 1 cup, total) and pulse until well combined. Add 1 egg, ½ cup buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and pulse again until you have a smooth mixture. 

    first stage of batter for plum cake.
  • Add dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add half of this flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and pulse a few times. Add the remaining flour mixture and pulse just until you have a smooth cake batter. Do not over-process the cake batter — you will end up with a dense, chewy cake.

    cake batter for fresh plum cake.
  • Add the plums. Pour the fresh plum cake batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface out with a spatula. Grab 1 pound of pitted plums that have been torn or sliced into pieces, and lightly press these into the batter. I like arranging sliced plums in a circular pattern. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

    cake batter in a springform pan with sliced plums placed on top.
  • Bake, cool, and serve. For a crackly golden topping, sprinkle 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar over the top of the batter. This is optional, so free to skip this. Bake the plum cake on the center rack of a 350 degrees F heated oven until you see deep golden brown edges and a paring knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. This will take 45 to 50 minutes. Place the springform pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 or so minutes before slicing the cake. 

    baked plum cake in a springform pan.

Make ahead tips

This cake with fruit is ideal for making ahead of time. In fact, it can be made up to 3 days in advance. Once it cools completely, place the plum cake in an airtight container or cake stand with a dome lid and store in a cool place. Your kitchen counter will do, but you can also pop it in the fridge to keep it fresh a little longer.  

Serve it with 

Plum cake can be served warm or cold, and needs nothing more than a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Or skip those and simply serve it along with your favorite hot drink, like a boozy Carajillo. It has fruit in it so I think plum cake is a perfectly acceptable breakfast!

Leftovers and storage

This plum cake recipe will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight or cake container. Just be sure it has cooled completely before covering it. To make it last a bit longer, you can also store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Can you freeze plum cake? 

Allow the plum cake to cool completely before double-wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or foil. I typically place the wrapped cake into a freezer safe bag as well for an extra layer of protection. You can also wrap and freeze individual slices, so you can grab a little at a time from the freezer. The cake will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer whether wrapped individually or as a whole.  

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5 from 8 votes

Fresh Plum Cake with Nuts

Suzy Karadsheh
moist plum cake in a cake tin.
You'll love this delicious, moist, and easy plum cake with nuts! Use plums that are ripe, but still firm, so they hold their shape while baking and don't become mushy. Serve plum cake warm with a little ice cream or even a dollop of labneh. This plum cake recipe is also ideal to prepare ahead, as it will keep for around 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container or cake stand.
Prep – 40 minutes
Cook – 45 minutes
Cuisine:
Serves – 10 people
Course:
Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup shelled pistachios, or blanched almonds
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pound plums, pitted and torn or sliced
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, optional

Instructions
 

  • Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Or simply line the pan with parchment paper instead. (You can use a cake pan if you don’t have a springform pan; but if you do so, leave an overhang with the parchment paper so you can easily lift out the cake.)
  • In a food processor, combine the pistachios and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and pulse until they are a beautiful green sandy texture. Add the butter and remaining sugar and pulse until fully incorporated. Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla, and pulse again, scraping down the sides once or twice with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and pulse a few times. Add the remaining flour mixture and pulse just until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the surface with the spatula. Lightly press the plums into the batter and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Scatter the turbinado sugar over the batter. Bake the cake until the edges are deeply golden brown and a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Make ahead tips: You can make the cake up to 3 days in advance. Allow it to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container or cake stand at room temperature.
  • Serving ideas: This plum cake is delicious eaten plain with a hot drink, or with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of labneh on top. 
  • What to do with leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. You can also refrigerate the cake for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing instructions: Double wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap or foil. You can either freeze that as is, or place it into a freezer-safe bag for extra protection. The cake will freeze well for up to 3 months.  
  • Visit our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils, organic spices, and more.

Nutrition

Calories: 339.8kcalCarbohydrates: 49.1gProtein: 4.7gFat: 14.7gSaturated Fat: 6.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 40.9mgSodium: 299.5mgPotassium: 189.6mgFiber: 1.9gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 489.6IUVitamin C: 4.7mgCalcium: 58.7mgIron: 1.6mg
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5 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Sue Olney says:

    Not made this yet but it’s next on my list to try. It looks delicious.

    Is it possible to give the amounts in grams as well as cups for your UK followers? I have just started following you and love your recipes but it’s a nuisance having to convert everything.

    Many thanks.

    1. TMD Team says:

      Hi, Sue! Thanks so much for your feedback. I’m sorry that we don’t have the metric measurements available for this one yet. It’s something we are aware that’s needed and we hope to be able to add it to all of our recipes as soon as we fine the right conversion tool.

      1. Sue Olney says:

        5 stars
        Many thanks for your reply. I’ll look forward to the metric measurements being added. In the meantime I made the conversions myself. The cake was delicious; I’m making it again this weekend.
        The adjustments I made were to place the batter in the ‘fridge before adding the plums, as I was afraid they would sink. I also cut the plums into 6 slices [3 per half] and arranged them in a daisy shape rather than including them as in the photo.

  2. Christie says:

    Hello, are you saying to put pistachio’s in food processor WITH SHELLS ON? it says shelled in your receipe. Thank you for your help

    1. TMD Team says:

      Nope! You definitely want to make sure the pistachios are shelled before putting them in the food processor.

  3. Rebecca says:

    5 stars
    I made this for the first time last night. I’d been nervous it wouldn’t be ‘desserty’ enough for a dinner party but it was perfect. I served it with whipped cream sweetened with amaretto, it was a perfect combo. I loved everything about the cake – the texture and flavor were delicious. I used an 8 inch pan (the recipe calls for a 9 inch) and today I ordered a 9 inch pan. A bigger pan would have allowed for more plum chunks, which I want next time. I used all pistachios (no almonds) and did the optional turbinado sugar sprinkled over the top. It was perfect.

    1. TMD Team says:

      So glad you loved it, Rebecca!

  4. Morgan says:

    5 stars
    Do you have a recommendation for how to alter the recipe to use pistachio butter? its a lightly sweetened pistachio butter that I already have packaged and was wondering if I could use it here.

  5. Nancy says:

    5 stars
    Any chance walnuts could be substituted?

    1. Suzy says:

      Hi, Nancy. That’s not something we’ve tested with this recipe, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. If you give it a try, please stop back and share your thoughts!

  6. Laura says:

    Can this be done in a mixing bowl rather than a food processor?

    1. Stephen says:

      I made this today without a food processor. I used a coffee grinder I keep for spices to grind up the pistachios, then I added them to a bowl with the flour, baking powder, and salt. I added the vanilla to the buttermilk in my liquid measuring cup. I creamed the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Added the egg and mixed until incorporated. 1/3 of the flour mixture went in, and I mixed until barely combined. Then half the buttermilk mixture mixing until barely combined. Half the remaining flour mixture and mix. The rest of the buttermilk mixture, and mix. Finish with the last of the flour mixture. Then follow the recipe for the rest.

  7. Denee says:

    Is it possible to substitute almond flour for the blanched almonds? I have a whole bag of it that needs using up.

  8. Terry says:

    5 stars
    FANTASTIC! I was concerned about over mixing using a food processor, but the taste and texture were wonderful. So easy. So delicious. Huge hit. Can’t wait to try it with other stone fruits. Please keep the great recipes coming!

    1. Suzy says:

      Will do! Thanks so much, Terry!

  9. Kimberley says:

    5 stars
    OMG! Made this last night with fresh mix of plums from the farmer’s market along with the expensive pistachios! I substitutes the turbinado sugar for a sprinkling of icing sugar. This was a very easy recipe, but don’t let the lack of difficulty fool you. This goes to show that baking doesn’t have to be hard in order for it to taste great! I think I might try this same recipe with rhubarb hidden in my freezer! Thanks again for some great ideas and wonderful dishes!

    1. Suzy says:

      So glad you enjoyed it, Kimberly!

  10. Ruth says:

    The recipe looks wonderful, however my family is picky about nuts in baked goods. Do any changes need to be made to the recipe if nuts are not used? Thank you.

    1. Suzy says:

      Hi, Ruth! I’m sure it will work without the nuts, but I’ve never personally tried it with this recipe, so I’m not sure if/what adjustments would need to be made. If you give it a try, please stop back and share your thoughts!

  11. Elaine says:

    Do the pistachios need to be raw and unsalted? I have roasted and salted shelled nuts on hand. Thank you!