Plum Cinnamon Cake: A Golden, Juicy Bake for Autumn

Now, Jen will tell you I can’t walk past reduced fruit in the supermarket. Last Tuesday I came home with a punnet of plums and she just sighed and said “cake then, is it?” She knows me too well. So this plum cinnamon cake is what happened next — a golden, buttery sponge with glossy plum halves sunk into the top, a whisper of cinnamon, and just enough sugar to make the fruit sing.

Why this plum cinnamon cake works

This isn’t complicated. The plums do most of the work. They’re tart enough to cut through the buttery sponge, and when they bake they go jammy and glossy. Cinnamon ties it all together without shouting. It’s the kind of cake that feels like autumn even in July.

I’ve made this with apricots when the plums looked sad, and once with peaches that were a bit too juicy. Both worked, though the peaches made the middle a touch wet. Stick with plums if you can. The batter is thick, almost like a soft cookie dough, which means the fruit sits on top rather than sinking to the bottom. That’s a good thing.

As a tip, don’t overmix once the flour goes in. You want a tender crumb, not a rubbery one. Just fold until you can’t see dry flour. A few lumps are fine.

How to make it, step by step

First, get everything ready. Heat the oven, grease your pan, and line the bottom with parchment. If you’ve got a springform, even better, but a regular round tin works fine. Just be generous with the greasing.

Next, whisk the dry things together in a small bowl. Flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside. In a bigger bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until it’s pale and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, so don’t rush it. Then beat in the eggs one at a time. If the mixture looks like it’s curdling, add a spoonful of the flour mix to bring it back.

Now fold in the dry ingredients. Stop as soon as it’s combined. Spread the batter in the pan. It will be thick, so use a spatula to level it. Arrange the plum halves cut-side up on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and a little extra sugar. The sugar helps the fruit caramelise and gives the top a lovely crunch.

Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. The plums should be bubbling and soft. Let it cool in the pan for a bit before moving to a rack. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, if you like.

Tips for a better bake

• Use ripe but firm plums. Overripe ones release too much juice and make the middle soggy.
• Don’t skip the parchment. Plums can stick something awful.
• If your plums are very tart, use the full amount of topping sugar. Taste a piece first.
• Let the cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar, or it’ll just melt into the crust.

As a tip, if the top is browning before the middle is set, a loose tent of foil saves the day. I’ve learned that one the hard way.

Make ahead, freezing and reheating

This cake keeps well. Cover it and leave it at room temperature for a day, or put it in the fridge for up to four days. The flavour actually improves on day two, once the cinnamon has had a chance to settle in. If you’re serving it with cream or yoghurt, keep those chilled until the last minute.

To freeze, wrap individual slices in clingfilm and then foil. Thaw at room temperature. If you want it warm, a few minutes in a low oven does the trick. From frozen, give it longer, maybe fifteen minutes or so, until it’s heated through. A quick blast in the microwave works too, but the texture suffers a bit.

Make it ahead for a pudding and just add the powdered sugar before it goes to the table. Jen always knows if I’ve done the sugar in advance because it disappears into the crust. She’s sharp like that.

Troubleshooting

If the cake is browning too fast but the middle is raw, cover it with foil and turn the oven down a notch. If the plums sink, your batter was too thin. Next time, chill the batter for ten minutes before spreading. If the cake sticks to the pan, you didn’t grease it enough. Run a knife around the edge and hope for the best.

And if it’s a bit dry? That means you overbaked it. Serve it with cream or ice cream and nobody will notice. I’ve done it myself, more than once.

Variations and what to serve with it

Apricots work beautifully instead of plums. So do peaches, though you might want to pat them dry first. A handful of flaked almonds scattered on top before baking adds a nice crunch. For a boozier version, soak the plums in a little brandy for half an hour. Not for the kids, obviously.

Serve it warm with pouring cream, crème fraîche, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Cold with a cup of tea is also excellent. Jen likes it with Greek yoghurt, which I think is a bit virtuous, but there you go.

For more autumn baking, try our strawberry muffins, a tray of extra soft and chewy flapjacks, or the bakery-style cinnamon rolls.

More ideas for using up plums

If you’ve got extra plums, stew them with a little sugar and star anise for a quick compote. Spoon it over porridge or yoghurt. Or roast them with honey and serve alongside the cake for double plum action. Jen counted the plums as one of our five a day, which I’m fairly sure doesn’t cancel out the butter and sugar, but I wasn’t going to argue.

As always, many thanks for reading and until next time…Steve.

Steve Deacon

Founder & Writer

Hi, I'm Steve, founder of The Yum Yum Club. After years in the corporate rat race traveling the world, my wife Jen and I settled back in the UK to follow our true passion: great food and wine. Having worked in restaurant kitchens in my youth, I share honest home-cooked recipes, kitchen timing tips, and culinary discoveries.

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