Every summer, our neighbor gives us bags of organic plums when their plum trees fruit. One of the best ways to use up those plums is to turn them into a Plum Cake (すもものケーキ). My family looks forward to this cake, especially when plums and other stone fruits are in season. I found this plum cake recipe online (written in Japanese) several years ago when I was looking for ideas to make the most of the abundant plums I had. This original recipe came from the baker’s British mother-in-law and I adapted the recipe to make it in my 9-inch cake pan with a few additional ingredients.
Why You Should Make This Plum Cake
Incredibly easy! Just mix all the ingredients and bake! The recipe is easy to memorize (in metrics) and highly adaptable. See the next section. The cake is so delicious and outstanding! You can use various fruits (blueberries and peaches) to make the cake year-round.
This cake is a delicious way to end the day. Yet, it’s also gorgeous enough to grace any special occasion or a last-minute brunch party. Serve it plain, or topped with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.
The Basic Cake Batter Recipe That’s Easy to Remember
As I mentioned earlier, this cake batter is so easy to remember. I usually make dessert recipes using a metric measurement (with a kitchen scale). *The cup measurement is written on the recipe card. I find it a little harder to memorize than this metric recipe.
For a 7-8 inch (18-20 cm) round pan
100 g unsalted butter 100 g sugar 100 g eggs (2 large eggs) 100 g all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder pinch kosher salt 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
- You can also use a 6-inch (15 cm) square pan.
For a 9-10 inch (23-25 cm) round pan
150 g unsalted butter 150 g sugar 150 g eggs (3 large eggs) 150 g all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
- You can also use an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan.
How to Make the Best Plum Cake
Cake Batter Variations
Over the years, I’ve made different variations of the basic cake batter recipe above. I keep the core ingredients but change things up slightly based on the fruits.
Lemon zest Almond slices Ground cardamom (you can also use ground cinnamon and nutmeg combo) Vanilla extract (I use the almond extract as basic) Crystallized ginger
What other variations have you tried before? Please share in the comment below!
Baking Tips
Pan options: I use a standard 9-inch springform pan and the cake bakes beautifully. If you don’t own one, you can line a regular 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and the cake should come out well. If you want to bake the cake in an 8-inch square cake pan, please check the baking time as it may require extra time to bake or finish earlier than the specified time.
Flour options: I’ve tried this recipe with both all-purpose flour and cake flour, and they come out equally well. I haven’t tried combining it with the almond meal but I think that will work too. I assume gluten-free flour should work, too.
Almond or vanilla extract: My family loves almond extract in this recipe (it’s our secret ingredient in making waffles!), but feel free to use vanilla if that’s what you have on hand.
Optional ground cinnamon: I love sprinkling ground cinnamon for an extra bit of flavor. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom complement the fruit very well.
Sparkling sugar crystal or turbinado sugar: I highly recommend sprinkling crystal or turbinado sugar on top of the cake. It gives a little sparkle on top of the cake as well as a light crackly crust. If you don’t have this type of sugar, you can simply use regular granulated sugar. If your plums are slightly sour, I find the sugar topping necessary and may want to increase the amount a tiny bit.
How to Substitute Plums with Other Fruits
If you are not a fan of plums, you can definitely substitute them with other fruits. In general, I think you can use pretty much any kind of fruit.
Peaches Blueberries Figs Apricots
Peach Cake
Slice 2 fresh peaches into 8-12 wedges, coat them with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown, and fan them out on the cake batter.
Blueberry Cake
Combine 2 cups (300 g) of fresh blueberries with 1 tsp flour and lemon juice in a bowl. Spoon the berry mixture over the batter. If you use frozen blueberries, use them frozen. The flour coating is to prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Fig Cake
Slice 10-14 fresh figs vertically in half and place them flesh side up.
Apricot Cake
Slice 10-12 fresh apricots vertically in half or quarters and place them skin side up.
Plum Cake Storage
The cake will keep well covered (I usually use a cake stand with a dome lid) at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I actually prefer to make this cake a day in advance as it tastes better the next day. You can also freeze the leftover cake for up to 3 months.
More Cake Recipes to Enjoy
Here are some of my favorite dessert recipes to enjoy all year round!
Castella Cake Matcha Swiss Roll Japanese Souffle Cheesecake Matcha Marble Pound Cake Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on July 11, 2022. It was republished with updated images and helpful content on June 27, 2024.
