Simple Plum Cake

This little cake is the one you make when you want something sweet but don’t want to bake something so complicated that by the time you’re done with it, you’re thinking to yourself, “Why did I do this to myself?” This is the cake you make when company comes over last minute and you need a quick dessert to serve after dinner. This is the cake you make for a lazy weekend treat. It’s the cake you make when you get back from the farmer’s market or grocery store with a bunch of fresh fruit and you don’t know what to do with it all. This Simple Plum Cake is versatile and so easy to make. So much so that you’ll want to make again and again, and honestly, I don’t blame you. It’s just the perfect dessert. 

Cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs.

**Tip: Whenever you bake, I highly recommend using room temperature eggs because they’ll mix into the batter or dough etc. much smoother and easier for you. If your eggs are cold and you want to bake right away, run the whole eggs under warm water until the chill has gone.**

Stir in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.

**Note: Make sure to not over mix the batter at this point or else you’ll end up with a dry and tough cake. You want to beat until the flour has just mixed in.**

Transfer the batter to a 10-inch round cake pan or springform pan that has been greased with cooking spray, and spread out into an even layer.

**Note: This cake is so forgiving that you can really make it with whatever pan you have. 8, 9 or 10 inches will all work. A simple cake pan will do but you can also use a springform pan if you want to remove the sides and make serving easier. If you use a cake pan, you can invert the cake out of the pan or just serve straight from the pan. A cast iron skillet will work as well!**

Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter pretty close to on another. Snug them into the batter, don’t be shy. Sprinkle with turbinado (or granulated is fine too) sugar and a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon.

I love this cake so much because as you see it comes together in no time at all, but also it’s 100% versatile. You can swap out the plum for whatever fruit you have on hand, prefer or whatever is in season at the moment. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, pears, apples, bananas…literally anything. Chocolate chips? Go for it! Dried fruit? Why not?

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until golden brown and the center has just set, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

**Note: I know that is a 15 minute difference, but depending on the size of the pan (and the type) you decide to use, the baking time will vary slightly. A smaller cake will be done faster and of course, a bigger pan will take a bit longer. Just keep an eye on it at the 45 minute mark.**

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. You want to serve it slightly warm, but cooling it down significantly will allow the juices from the plums to settle into the cake and allow it all to just get perfect. 

Slice and serve the cake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar or a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Plain is also great, but I like a little fresh whipped cream. It really completes the cake in my opinion. 

Any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just allow the cake to come to room temperature before eating.

You can also bake the cake, cool it completely and then wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Just rewarm in a 300°F oven, from the freezer, for a few minutes before serving. 

This will probably be the easiest cake you’ll ever make, aside from a boxed cake of course, and I love a good boxed cake every now and then so don’t get me wrong, but this one here is the way to go. Whether you make it with plums or not (but you should because plums are in season and they’re sooooo good) I hope you’ll give this little simple cake a try soon. As always, let me know what you think below. Stay safe my friends and happy Friday.

Simple Plum Cake

This Simple Plum Cake is one you'll want to make again and again. It's so versatile and so you can make it with so many different fruits!

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 to 6 purple plums halved and pitted
• 2 tablespoons turbinado or granulated sugar
• Large pinch ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream for serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan or springform pan with cooking spray, set aside.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread out into an even layer. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter pretty close to on another. Sprinkle with the sugar and the cinnamon.
• Bake until golden brown and the center has just set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, powdered sugar or ice cream. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from the New York Times.

Author: The Candid Appetite