Plum Cake

By davidv

"Julie, an ITKWD copywriting intern, gave us her family’s recipe for Plum Cake. This elegant and simple cake transforms plums into candied bites of holiday joy!"—David

David's Tip: If you happen to find fresh plums at your local market, you can absolutely use them in this recipe. Halve and pit 8–10 fresh plums and then sprinkle them with 1 tsp cinnamon as well as 3 Tbsp sugar before placing them on the cake. Increase the baking time to 60–70 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 (15-oz) cans whole purple plums, halved, pitted, and drained
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and lightly flour a 10" or 11" spring-form pan.

Gently whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, then set aside.

Mix the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add in the dry ingredients, alternating with milk, mixing on low speed, until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the plum halves in a medium-size bowl and sprinkle them with cinnamon. Toss the plums until they’re evenly coated, then place them cut-side down around the perimeter of the cake pan, filling in all the way to the center.

Bake the cake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.