Gluten-Free Plum Cake that is Moist and Soft

This Gluten-Free Plum Cake is moist, soft, and delicious and is topped with juicy fresh plums. It’s a perfect late-summer cake that can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a summer dessert. 

As a family, this is our favorite way to enjoy the plum season. Gluten-free plum cake pairs well with a cup of coffee or tea. It’s so easy to make. Since it takes about 40-45 minutes in the oven, you have time for other tasks to complete. For me, it was just enough time to go on a morning walk with my daughter. How will you be using your time?

This upside-down cake recipe is so easy to make and results in a moist buttery breakfast cake. During late summer you’ll find a lot of plums at the farmers’ market and in some grocery stores. And if you’ve got all those extra plums what can you do with them? This cake is the perfect way to put them to use. A delicious way to enjoy this summer dessert is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

There are different varieties of plums but red plums are best for this easy recipe. The color pops and it makes for a truly delicious cake.  It’s not as sweet as you may think. The plum taste compliments the amount of sugar in this recipe, so it’s really not a sugary dessert.

How to cut the plums

First of all yes, you should use plums. At least something from the plum family if plums are not available at the moment. I tried a couple of different ways to cut the plums and found that you shouldn’t cut plums too thin and don’t place the plums too deep into the batter. Cut plums in halves or quartered. Plum wedges or halved plums will make your plum cake prettier.

Here’s what you’ll need to put together this amazing Plum Cake:

• Fresh plums: Ideally use red plums because the color pops and it makes for a truly delicious cake.  
• Eggs: Use regular eggs or flax eggs if you prefer them as a foaming agent to bring out the rise in the cake. 
• Milk: Regular milk, almond milk, or any plant-based works too.
• Unsalted butter: The butter should be at room temperature for a smooth and evenly textured cake batter. 
• Brown sugar: Adds flavor and moistness to the cake.
• Almond flour: You can use any that you like. I use  Bob’s Red Mill Flour which adds great flavor. 
• Regular flour: You can use brown rice flour or rice flour, to make it a gluten-free option. 
• Cinnamon: Adds a sweet, natural and warm flavor to the cake.

Along with these ingredients, you’ll also need salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract. 

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make Gluten Free Plum Cake

1: Prepare the equipment. 

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Smear an 8-inch baking pan or cake tin with butter then set aside.

2: Prepare the plums

• Wash the plums and dry them with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Then cut it in half and take the core out then set it aside.

3: Make the butter mixture 

• In a medium bowl, whisk softened butter and sugar on medium speed until light fluffy. 

4: Add eggs and the rest of the ingredients

• Add eggs one at a time and whisk to combine.

5: Add the rest of the ingredients 

• Add the rest of the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, except for the sliced plums, and stir with a spatula.

6: Transfer onto the baking dish 

• Transfer the prepared batter to the baking dish and spread evenly using a spatula or the back of a spoon.

7: Add plums and sugar

• Place the plum slices on top of the cake batter, pushing them in slightly then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of sugar.

8: Bake the cake 

• Place the plum cake in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until it’s golden brown or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

9: Serve and enjoy!

• Remove the cake from the oven and let the cake cool then serve warm on a cake plate and enjoy. 

How to store leftover plum cake 

• Place leftover plum cake in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or place in the fridge and keep for up to 5 days. 
• To freeze the gluten-free plum cake, wrap the cooled, whole cake in a plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or large ziplock bag. You can also freeze individual pieces this way. To thaw, transfer the cake from the freezer to the fridge and allow it to thaw overnight.

Expert Tips

• Toss the plum wedges in some coconut sugar and cinnamon and set them aside for a few minutes. This allows the ripe plums to release some of their juices and stops them from making the cake soggy.
• The best plums to use would be Italian Prune Plums which are smaller and sweet when fully ripe. They are usually found at Farmers’ Markets or at grocery stores. If they are not available you can use the black or red plums which are larger and need to be halved or quartered. 
• You can use a stand mixer or handheld mixer too for the batter mixture. 
• A great option is to sprinkle some powdered sugar on the plum cake, as soon as it cooled down. It’s just so pretty like that.
• You can replace the brown sugar with maple syrup or coconut sugar and you can also change the kind of milk you use. While I use whole milk here, you can choose your favorite. Keep in mind, it will slightly be different in taste.

FAQs

Other delicious cake recipes with fresh fruit!

The Moist and Easy Apple Cake with Sunflower Seeds is filled with delicious, juicy apples and tastes divine. 

The elegant Mandarin Orange Mousse Cake with Citrus and Chocolate Ganache is beautiful to look at, easy to make, and absolutely melts in your mouth.

Try the Lemon Yogurt Layer Cake with Easy Lemon Buttercream which is moist, sweet, creamy, and loaded with fresh lemon zest.

More Dessert Recipes

If you tried this Gluten Free Plum Cake that is Moist and Soft or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!