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Easy Plum Cake

Snejana Andreeva - 1

By Snejana Andreeva

on Aug 06, 2025, Updated Sep 16, 2025

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Simple, easy cakes are my love language 😍. If I can toss everything into the mixer, pour it into a pan, and let the oven do the heavy lifting, I’m already preheating. Light, sweet and moist (I know, I know 🥴), this Easy Plum Cake proves that simple recipes can deliver major flavor. This is actually my mom’s recipe, who is the queen of simple yet delicious coffee-style cakes. With only 10 minutes of prep time and just a few simple ingredients, you can whip this custardy plum cake up on a whim. My mom has blessed me with many gems, but this one takes the cake 😉!

  • Why You’ll Love Easy Plum Cake
  • Ingredients
  • Which Plums Work Best For Plum Cake
  • Nonna’s Tip
  • Easy Plum Cake Variations and Substitutions
  • Fruit Swaps & Juicy Upgrades
  • Easy Plum Cake Is Best Served With
  • Similar Recipes
  • Common Questions
  • Easy Plum Cake Recipe

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snejana Andreeva (@themodernnonna)

Squares of yellow sponge cake topped with baked red plums and a dusting of powdered sugar are arranged on a cooling rack with vintage paper underneath. Mint leaves and gold dessert forks are also visible. - 3

Why You’ll Love Easy Plum Cake

Tender, perfectly sweet and lighter than your summer makeup routine, this Easy Plum Cake 🍰 will deliver the crumb of your dreams. The center is custardy with jammy fruit pockets, while the top gets golden with slight crispy edges. Not to mention this 10-minute plum cake is endlessly customizable. Use plums, apples 🍎, peaches 🍑, berries or whatever else is in season or on your devour list. This cake is perfect for brunch, dessert or with coffee ☕️ and tastes even better on day two ✌️ (that’s IF it even lasts that long).

A top-down view of baking ingredients on a wooden surface: sifted flour, sliced plums, eggs in a bowl, a bowl of sugar, a small dish of lime zest, cream cheese, and a small bowl of baking powder. - 4

Ingredients

  • Eggs : They do the heavy lifting here. Beating eggs with sugar traps air, which gives the cake lift and a custardy crumb.
  • Sugar : Sweetens, tenderizes the crumb, helps browning, and keeps the cake moist. Beat the sugar with the eggs until very pale and thick.
  • Sour Cream : I am going to hold your hand when I say this – sour cream belongs in cakes. It’s what gives this cake that perfect crumb, tenderness and unbeatable moisture all without needing to add milk or oil.
  • All Purpose Flour : The backbone of this custardy plum cake, and a staple in every cake recipe. I used all purpose flour but you could use cake flour, or a gluten free all purpose blend for a gluten-free cake option.
  • Baking Powder : Very important and not to be skipped! This is what helps your cake rise properly.
  • Lemon Zest : This is optional and can also be substituted with lime zest or orange zest. However, I highly recommend adding zest to give the plum cake a bright citrusy lift.
  • Plums : What’s a plum cake without plums, right? Make sure you slice your plums thin, so they don’t sink through the batter.

Which Plums Work Best For Plum Cake

Execllent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Italian Prune Plums (Empress): Purple-blue skin, soft, powdery bloom

Great ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Red Plums: Vibrant red, soft but not mushy
  • Black Plums: Deep purple-black, sllightly soft

Good ⭐️⭐️

  • Santa Rosa: Deep red, aromatic, slight give
  • Greengage (rare): green-yellow, soft and fragrant

Not great ⭐️

  • Yellow Plums: Too watery, very juicy and soft, often too wet

Nonna’s Tip

Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond flour over the batter before adding fruit. It catches juices and keeps the crumb tender.

A hand holds a piece of yellow sponge cake with red plum slices and powdered sugar, with more cake squares arranged on a cooling rack lined with paper underneath. - 5

Easy Plum Cake Variations and Substitutions

  1. If you’re not into sour cream swap 1:1 with full fat Greek yogurt .
  2. To make this 10-minute plum cake dairy free , use a thick unsweetened coconut 🥥 yogurt. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk only if the batter seems very stiff.
  3. Coconut sugar works 1:1. The cake will be a bit darker and slightly more caramel-like.
  4. The lemon 🍋 zest it totally optional, however, if you’d like to add zest but don’t have lemons handy, feel free to use lime or orange zest instead.
  5. Instead of all purpose flour use a gluten free all purpose blend based on rice flour with tapioca or potato starch for a gluten-free cake option.
  6. No plums ? No problem. Feel free to use apples, pears, peaches 🍑, cherries 🍒, blueberries, raspberries, or a mix.

Fruit Swaps & Juicy Upgrades

🍎 Apple + Cinnamon or chopped walnuts

🍐 Pear + Vanilla or mini chocolate chips

🍑 Peach + Almond extract or toasted coconut

🍒 Cherry + Almond extract or dark chocolate chunks

🍓 Strawberry + Lemon zest or balsamic glaze drizzle (post-bake!)

🫐 Blueberry + Orange zest or a pinch of cardamom

🥭 Mango + Toasted coconut or lime zest

Easy Plum Cake Is Best Served With

  • Coffee such as my Italian Affogato or tea 🫖.
  • A dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche.
  • A scoop of vanilla ice cream for full dessert mode 🍨.

Similar Recipes

Four slices of Revani Cake, a yellow pound cake topped with powdered sugar, are neatly arranged on a white plate, placed on a white surface with a white cloth in the background. - 6 Four slices of Revani Cake, a yellow pound cake topped with powdered sugar, are neatly arranged on a white plate, placed on a white surface with a white cloth in the background. - 7

Orange Lemon Cake

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A close-up of a sliced apple cake on a white plate, showing a moist, dense crumb with visible apple chunks and a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. - 8 A close-up of a sliced apple cake on a white plate, showing a moist, dense crumb with visible apple chunks and a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. - 9

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Three slices of golden yellow Whole Orange Blender Cake are arranged on a white plate. The cake appears moist and fluffy, with a slightly browned edge and small air pockets throughout the slices. - 10 Three slices of golden yellow Whole Orange Blender Cake are arranged on a white plate. The cake appears moist and fluffy, with a slightly browned edge and small air pockets throughout the slices. - 11

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A slice of cake topped with powdered sugar, blueberries, and berry sauce on a white plate. A fork is cutting into the cake. - 12 A slice of cake topped with powdered sugar, blueberries, and berry sauce on a white plate. A fork is cutting into the cake. - 13

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

45 mins

Common Questions

Beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick. After that, mix only until the flour disappears. Over-mixing can deflate the batter.

No, you do not need to peel either.

Certainly. Swap the 1 cup all purpose flour for 1 cup of a gluten free all purpose blend based on rice flour with tapioca or potato starch. Avoid single flours for a full swap, like almond flour, coconut flour, or plain rice flour. Keep in mind, I have not tried to make this recipe gluten-free, so I cannot fully speak on the texture, taste and baking time.

Spread it on top, do not press it in. Pat fruit dry, slice thin, and avoid heavy piles in the center.

Plums, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, or a mix. Keep slices thin, or use small whole berries.

Yes. Do not thaw. Pat quickly if icy, toss with 1 teaspoon flour, then add to the top.

Yes. Use full-fat Greek yogurt 1:1. For dairy-free, use a thick coconut yogurt.

Let the cake cool fully. Store covered at room temp for 1 day, then pop it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze slices for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge when ready to enjoy.

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Video

Equipment

  • ▢ Mixing Bowls
  • ▢ Stand Mixer
  • ▢ Zester
  • ▢ Rectangular baking dish
  • ▢ Nakiri Knife
  • ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • ▢ Hand Mixer

Ingredients

  • ▢ 5 whole eggs
  • ▢ ½ cup sugar
  • ▢ ⅔ cups sour cream
  • ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder , make sure it’s not expired
  • ▢ 1 lemon zested , or lime
  • ▢ 3 sliced plums , peaches or apples will work too

Instructions

  • ▢ Pre-heat oven to 350F (180 C).
  • ▢ In a big bowl or stand mixer add in the eggs and sugar. Beat them for a few minutes with a mixer until they are nice and pale yellow and look like a thick cream.
  • ▢ Now, add in your sour cream and lemon zest (optional) and mix it with the mixer for a few seconds until incorporated.
  • ▢ Sift in the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix with the mixer only until incorporated.
  • ▢ Pour the batter into a 9-inch cake pan or 10 x 7 inch rectangular baking dish , making sure to spray it down first and line it with parchment paper.
  • ▢ Arrange thin slices of any fruit you like (I added a double layer of plums) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool, cut, and enjoy!
  • ▢ Note: Icing sugar is totally optional once the cake has cooled.

Nonna’s Notes

My Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Easy Plum Cake

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowls
  • Stand Mixer
  • Zester
  • Rectangular baking dish
  • Nakiri Knife
  • Measuring Cups + Spoons
  • Hand Mixer

Ingredients

  • 5 whole eggs
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅔ cups sour cream
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder make sure it’s not expired
  • 1 lemon zested or lime
  • 3 sliced plums peaches or apples will work too

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350F (180 C).
  • In a big bowl or stand mixer add in the eggs and sugar. Beat them for a few minutes with a mixer until they are nice and pale yellow and look like a thick cream.
  • Now, add in your sour cream and lemon zest (optional) and mix it with the mixer for a few seconds until incorporated.
  • Sift in the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix with the mixer only until incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into a 9-inch cake pan or 10 x 7 inch rectangular baking dish , making sure to spray it down first and line it with parchment paper.
  • Arrange thin slices of any fruit you like (I added a double layer of plums) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool, cut, and enjoy!
  • Note: Icing sugar is totally optional once the cake has cooled.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Easy Plum Cake https://themodernnonna.com/easy-plum-cake/ January 4, 2026