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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.
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5 from 4 votes

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Balkan, European
Keyword: banana cake, coffee cake, coffee dessert, easy cake recipe, plum cake
Servings: 15 slices
Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

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.

Video

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 10x7-inch rectangular pan works beautifully. A 9x9-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
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