Easy Plum Cake Recipe

There’s something so lovely about baking with fruit when it’s in season! Gently spiced and topped with juicy fresh plums, this Easy Plum Cake recipe has been a family favourite for years. It’s a simple bake that looks as good as it tastes.

A Quick and Easy Recipe

This cake is the work of moments and oh so easy to put together. The trickiest part is probably slicing the plums! The batter comes together in minutes, then it’s simply a case of spreading it in the pan, arranging the plums on top, sprinkling on some sugar and then letting the oven do the rest. The hardest part is waiting while it bakes – the aroma is pretty irresistible!

Updated March 2026 – I first shared this Easy Plum Cake recipe back in 2013, although it had been part of my repertoire since long before then. Over the years I have made a few small changes, including switching from plum halves on top of the cake to using slices of plums arranged on top. It’s just a little change, but it really elevates the cake and makes it look a bit more special.

Although this plum cake recipe is quick and easy, it tastes a lot more complex. One of the things I like best about it is the spices. Cinnamon, ginger and ground nutmeg combine to make it fragrant, rich and delicious.

Tips For Making Easy Plum Cake

The number of plums you need for the cake will vary depending on their size and shape. I’ve used several different varieties for this cake and I always seem to need between eight and twelve plums. You can use any variety of plums for this recipe.

The batter is fairly thick, and when you are putting it in the pan, you may think there is not enough. If you are using the 8 inch (20 cm) cake tin I recommend (affiliate link) then I promise that there is. Be patient and spread the batter carefully with a spatula or knife.

Serving Suggestions

This Easy Plum Cake recipe is delicious served warm with cream, ice cream (my personal favourite) or as a traditional British ‘pudding’ with custard. I always hope for leftovers as it is beautiful with a cup of tea for breakfast.

How To Store The Cake

This Easy Plum Cake recipe keeps well for a couple of days at room temperature – in fact the spices seem deepen and taste even better. The plums will start to sink a little after a day though, so I recommend making this cake on the morning of the day you want to serve it the first time when you will want it to look its best.

Easy Plum Cake – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Easy Plum Cake

Servings 8 to 10 slices

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup buttermilk buttermilk is best but ordinary milk will work
• 2 to 3 large plums, pitted and sliced (wait until the last minute to do this or the plums will go brown)
• 2 tablespoons Demerera sugar for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C).
• Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 inch loose bottomed cake pan.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together.
• Beat the eggs and vanilla into the creamed mixture.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix just until blended.
• Pour in the buttermilk and beat until smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. The batter will be thick and you will have to spread it to fill the pan, coaxing it out to the edges. Smooth the top of the batter so it is even.
• Arrange the plum slices over top of the batter in a circular fashion, leaving a bit of space between each slice.
• Sprinkle the Demerera sugar over the top.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
• When the pan is cool enough to handle, release the springs of the cake pan and gently remove the sides. The bottom of the cake pan can be gently removed by sliding a knife underneath the cake and lifting the cake on to a wire rack using a large slice. However I often cheat and leave the cake on the metal base for serving to avoid any risk of the cake not coming off in one piece.

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