Easy Plum Cake

By The Modern Nonna

on Aug 06, 2025, Updated Sep 16, 2025

5 from 4 votes
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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 😉!

Table of Contents

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.

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.

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.

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

Common Questions

How do I prevent my cake from turning dense?

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

Do I need to peel the Plums or Apples?

No, you do not need to peel either.

Can I make it gluten free?

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.

How do I keep fruit from sinking?

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

Which fruits work best?

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

Can I use frozen fruit?

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

Can I swap the sour cream?

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

Storage and freezing?

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.

A close-up of a slice of yellow sponge cake topped with red fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar, garnished with a fresh mint leaf, sitting on brown parchment paper with printed text.

Easy Plum Cake

Easy Plum Cake is your next baking obsession—just 10 minutes to mix, then the oven works its magic. Expect a custardy crumb, jammy fruit, and golden edges in every dreamy bite.
5 from 4 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Balkan, European
Makes: 15 slices
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

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
US Customary – Metric

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.
    A close-up of sugar being poured from a small glass container into a clear bowl containing three raw eggs on a wooden surface, with a bakery-style kitchen in the background.
  • Now, add in your sour cream and lemon zest (optional) and mix it with the mixer for a few seconds until incorporated.
    A hand holds a small glass bowl of ricotta cheese above a large glass bowl filled with a frothy yellow mixture on a wooden surface, suggesting a cooking or baking process.
  • Sift in the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix with the mixer only until incorporated.
    A close-up of flour being sifted through a mesh strainer into a glass bowl filled with a yellow batter, all set on a wooden table with sunlight streaming in.
  • 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.
    Yellow cake batter is being poured from a bowl into a parchment paper-lined baking dish on a wooden surface, with a warm kitchen setting in the background.
  • 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!
    A rectangular baking dish lined with parchment paper holds an unbaked batter topped with neatly arranged slices of red plums, ready to be baked, on a wooden surface.
  • Note: Icing sugar is totally optional once the cake has cooled.
    Close-up of several pieces of yellow sponge cake topped with red plum slices and powdered sugar, some garnished with a small green mint leaf. The cake pieces are arranged closely together.

Notes

Fruit: Plums, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, blueberries, or raspberries all work great. Slice stone fruit and apples thin. Keep berries whole. Frozen fruit is fine – no need to thaw, just toss with a bit of flour before using.
Flavor Boosts: Add citrus zest, vanilla, or almond extract. Try cinnamon with apples or a pinch of cardamom with plums.
Toppings: Sprinkle turbinado sugar for crunch. Add sliced almonds or walnuts for texture. Finish with icing sugar once cooled.
Mix-Ins: Mini chocolate chips pair well with cherries or pears. Crystallized ginger (finely chopped) is delicious with peaches or pears.
Dairy Swaps: Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. For dairy-free, go with a thick coconut yogurt. Add a splash of milk if the batter feels too thick.
Flour Options: A gluten-free all-purpose blend works well. Avoid using almond or coconut flour for a full swap.
Sugar: 1/2 cup gives you a light sweetness, 1 cup makes it more dessert-like. Don’t go lower than 1/2 cup for best results.
Pan Choices: A 10×7-inch rectangular pan works beautifully. A 9×9-inch square, 9-inch round, or springform pan also does the trick. If using an 8-inch round, add 5 to 10 minutes of bake time.
Make It Extra: Brown a bit of butter and mix it into the sour cream for added richness. You can also dust almond flour over the batter before adding fruit to soak up extra juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 103kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 24mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 189IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Balkan, European
COOKED IT? SLAYED IT? 💅
Tag @themodernnonna so I can hype you up 👏 and don’t forget to rate ⭐, drop a comment 💬, and show some love right here on the recipe!

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Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

More about me

Keep up to date with me on social media! Follow @themodernnonna

5 from 4 votes

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5 Comments

  3. 5 stars
    This turned out so moist and delicious, and not too sweet. I added powdered sugar and it was perfect. Thank you for another great baking recipe! ❤️

    Reply