Easy! Vegan Plum Cake

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This vegan plum cake is not only easy to make but also so fluffy, soft, and moist with lots of sweet and tangy plums with a hint of lovely almond fragrance! This cake is perfect to bake in summer – serve with ice cream or whipped cream for afternoon tea, home parties, and picnic outside!

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I’ve been waiting this day to come for over 1 year to share this recipe with you – my vegan plum cake recipe! I made this cake in summer last year, and it turned out so good I shared slices with my friend and family. They absolutely loved it! Then I got super busy and summer was over, hence sharing this recipe with you now.

The cake is full of juicy, sweet, and tangy plum fruit. The texture of the cake is heavenly – soft, fluffy, yet perfectly moist with a slight crisp to the exterior of the cake. I love having a slice with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped vanilla cream. Mmm, what a perfect treat to have in summer. This recipe is a single-layer cake recipe so it’s super easy to make too, all you need to do is mix and bake then a delicious cake is ready in just under 1 hour and a half!

Recipe overview – why you’ll love this vegan plum cake recipe

Level: Easy
Taste: Sweet and tangy plum
Texture: Fluffy, moist, and soft

Diet: Plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, can be gluten-free
Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Occasion: Holiday seasons, birthdays, and more

Must Read: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Cakes – A complete guide to baking your perfect vegan cakes with an easy and delicious vanilla cake recipe!

Main ingredients and substitutions

Plums: Get some juicy, plump, sweet, and fresh plums from your favourite market! For the sake of this recipe, we are using plums but you can swap them with other fruits as well to make your own fruit cake. Try peaches, pears, nectarines, and other stone fruits.

Plain flour: The base for this delicious cake is plain flour. I like using regular plain flour as it creates nice and fluffy baked goods. But if you want to make it gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend from brands like King Arthur.

Ground almond: Ground almond is almond processed in a food processor until they make crumbs. It’s coarser than almond flour and freshly grounded almonds are much more fragrant and have a lovely nutty flavour. If you can’t ground almonds at home, you can also use almond flour too. Make sure to weigh it for the best result.

Caster sugar: I used regular caster sugar for this recipe but you can use any other type of sugar such as brown sugar, coconut sugar, etc. If you use dark sugars the texture of the cake will be more moist and soft.

Applesauce: I used my homemade applesauce in this recipe to make the cake nice and moist. Applesauce is such a great egg replacer! You can use other fruit purees too like mashed bananas, pears, etc.

Almond milk: Almond milk gives a nice and sweet flavour to the cake and I love the combination of almond and plum! You can use any other plant milk as well if you prefer such as soy, oat, hemp, rice, etc.

Vegan butter: I used vegan butter from Naturli. If you have been following my blog, you know that I love their vegan butter! If you want to make this plum cake with no butter, you can swap the butter with neutral oil. If using oil, the texture of the cake will be more moist and slightly oilier.

Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is used to make vegan buttermilk in this recipe. You can use lemon juice too.

Cornflour: Starchy flour improves the texture of baked goods. I used cornflour but you can use potato flour, tapioca flour, or arrowroot flour – any starchy flour will work here.

Other ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

18cm (7in) cake tin: This recipe requires an 18cm (7in) cake tin. You can use a one-size bigger cake tin as well, but the cake will be slightly thinner in height. If you are using a bigger tin, bake for 50 mins and do a toothpick test.

Electric mixer: I used my stand mixer to beat the vegan butter and mix the cake batter. A hand mixer will work too!

Wooden spoon or silicon spatula: Use them to mix the batter gently.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make this easy plum cake

Step 1: Prepare the plums

Preheat the oven to 180°C(350°F).

First thing first, let’s prepare the plums! Wash the plums with tap water and pat dry well. Cut them in half and remove the stone carefully. Slice them about 1 inch thick. If the plums are too moist, take a clean kitchen paper and pat dry gently. It’s very important that the plums have no moisture, if they are wet it will make the cake too soggy! Set the plums aside.

Step 2: Beat the butter and add ingredients

Make vegan buttermilk by combining the apple cider vinegar and almond milk. Set aside for it to slightly curdle. Almond milk doesn’t curdle as much as soy milk, but don’t worry if it looks more watery than the vegan buttermilk made with soy, it’s normal!

In a large bowl, beat the cubed vegan butter and sugar together until fluffy and paler in colour, about 3 mins. Do the same if using a stand mixer. Add the applesauce, vegan buttermilk, and vanilla extract and beat further until combined.

Step 3: Make the batter

Add the flour, ground almond, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. If you used a hand mixer to beat mix the wet mixture, switch to a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula and mix the wet and dry ingredients gently until just combined. If you are using a stand mixer, change the balloon attachment to a paddle attachment and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix! Overmixing can make the cake tough and rubbery.

Add the prepared plums and fold in until just combined. Set aside some plums for topping.

Step 4: Bake

Pour the batter into an 18cm (7in) cake tin and smooth out the top evenly. Top with the remaining plums and bake in the preheated oven for 60 mins. Tip! To prevent the top from burning, place a sheet of foil on the cake halfway through, about 30-40 mins in. This will protect the cake from burning on top! Be careful not to touch inside the oven when doing this.

To check if the cake is baked, do a toothpick test. Insert a toothpick in the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean it’s ready! If it comes out with wet batter, bake for further 5-10 mins and test again.

Because the cake has lots of plums, it may be difficult to tell if the cake is done. Insert a toothpick in 2-3 spots for a more accurate result. Moist cake crumb is ok to come out with the toothpick, it’s perfect!

Once the cake is baked, let it cool down to room temperature in the tin. Then take the cake out of the tin and place it on a cooling rack to further cool down. Slice and enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Serving tips and ideas

Because it’s fruity and wholesome, a slice makes a fantastic weekend breakfast or addition to a brunch spread. Serve a slice with a fresh fruit salad and yoghurt on a plate for a healthy cake plate!
For a more decadent dessert, warm a slice slightly and serve it with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or a dollop of coconut whipped cream!
A simple dusting of a little icing sugar makes the cake extra elegant! It looks beautiful with the dark plum slices peeking through.

Expert tips and tricks

Make sure the plums aren’t wet

This is very important! If the plums look too moist and wet after rinsing and cutting them, pat dry very well gently with clean kitchen paper. If you add wet plums to the cake batter, the cake will be too soggy and the cake won’t have a nice texture.

Mix the batter gently

The key to fluffy and moist cake is mixing gently. If you mix the batter vigorously with a whisk, gluten will form too much in the batter and it can make the cake tough and rubbery. If you are using a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment rather than a ballon one. If you are mixing by hand, use a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula.

Recipe variations

Scatter a handful of fresh raspberries or blueberries over the plum slices before baking for a mixed berry twist! It’s great for baking in summer.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the batter and sprinkle the top with flaked almonds before baking for a lovely nutty flavour and crunch. Dust some icing sugar to make it look pretty and professional!
Feeling cosy and spicy? Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, a tablespoon of finely chopped crystallised ginger, or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter for a warm, spicy kick.

How to store

At Room Temperature: The cake can be kept at room temperature on a cake stand with a dome lid or an airtight container, at cool room temperature for 1 day. If you live in a warm climate or are baking in the summer and your kitchen is hot, do not leave the cake out at room temperature, as it can spoil quickly.
In the Fridge: Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2-3 days.
In the Freezer: To freeze, wrap the whole cooled cake (or individual slices) tightly in cling film, then place it in a freezer bag or airtight container. It will keep for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.

Q and A

Can I use other fruits?

Yes go for it! I think any stone fruits like peach, nectarine, or pears would work amazingly. Make sure that they are not wet from rinsing and cutting, gentle pat dry with a clean kitchen towel should remove any excess moisture from fruits perfectly.

Can I use canned plums?

I think they’ll work. Canned fruits have more moisture and are wet in general so remove any moisture before adding to the batter.

Can I make an upside-down plum cake with this recipe?

I’d say why not! If you want to make an upside down cake, I would use a 20cm (8in) cake tin, place the plums on the bottom of the tin and spread it out evenly, pour the batter and bake for 40-50 mins. Hope it’ll work!

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious plum and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

Visit the cakes and cupcakes page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe in the comment section below if you like this recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

Recipe Card