Not too sweet, and with wholesome almonds, this moist cake makes the most of seasonal plums. There are two plummy elements: a simple plum syrup (stirred through the batter and drizzled on top), plus the plum-studded cake itself. I make my cake in the Thermomix but there are traditional methods below too. Use other fruits when plums aren’t in season.
Serves: 8 – 10
Ingredients
Plum syrup
- 500 grams (17.5 oz) plums, halved, stones removed
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 40 grams (1.4 oz) raw sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
Plum cake
- 120 grams (4.2 oz) raw sugar
- 200 grams (7 oz) natural almonds
- 200 grams (7 oz) unsalted butter, in 2cm cubes
- 3 eggs
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 6 plums, stones removed, halved
Thermomix Method
Plum syrup
1. Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and cook for 5 min/100°C (212°F)/speed 1.
2. Blend for 45 sec/speed 9. Set aside to cool.
Plum cake
- Preheat oven to 170ºC (335°F). Grease and line a round spring-form cake tin (22cm diameter).
- Place the sugar and almonds into clean, dry Thermomix bowl and blitz for 5 sec/speed 9.
- Add the butter, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix for 50 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides with spatula and mix for another 10 sec/speed 5.
- Tip the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Pour over ¼ cup plum syrup and swirl through with a skewer. Arrange halved plums on top (slice large plums into 1 cm slices).
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Turn cake on to a rack to cool.
- Serve with extra plum syrup.
Traditional Method
Plum syrup
- Place all ingredients into a small saucepan along with 1/4 cup water and cook over low heat until plums are soft, stirring often.
- Use a stick blender to blend to a smooth syrup or press mixture through a sieve, retaining syrup. Leftover pulp can be used as a breakfast topping.
Plum cake
- Preheat oven to 170ºC (335°F). Grease and line a round spring-form cake tin (22cm diameter).
- Place the sugar and almonds into a food processor and blitz to a fine powder. (Without a food processor, use almond meal and stir with sugar.)
- Add butter and combine well.
- In a food processor or mixing bowl, add eggs to butter mixture one by one, mixing well before adding the next egg.
- Sift flour with baking powder and salt, and add to mixture. Combine well.
- Tip the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Pour over ¼ cup plum syrup and swirl through with a skewer. Arrange halved plums on top (slice large plums into 1 cm slices).
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Turn cake on to a rack to cool.
- Serve with extra plum syrup.
Tips
- Leftover syrup is terrific with muesli and yoghurt, on pancakes or drizzled over crumpets. Plums can easily be replaced with pears when the season shifts.
Need more guidance? Watch my Thermomix plum syrup cake video!
Want more delicious cake recipes? Try this amazing Orange and Polenta Cake with Mango Cardamom Sorbet I made with Sophia, Thermomix Baking Blogger.
