The idea for this plum cake came from a weekend on Galiano Island where the air smelled of salt and blossoming trees. British Columbia’s jewel-toned landscapes — misty islands, turquoise water and abundant fruit trees — were the perfect inspiration for a simple, rustic cake that highlights ripe plums and warm cardamom.
On that trip we watched seals play near the shoreline, saw orcas in the distance, and sampled sun-warmed fruit right from the branches. Back home I bought a crate of Italian prune plums at the farmers market and set about turning them into cake. The result is a tender, lightly spiced cake with juicy pockets of plum, easy to prepare and lovely to serve warm or at room temperature.
I prefer fresh green cardamom pods for their floral aroma: split the pods, remove the seeds and crush them with the flat of a knife or a mortar and pestle. Freshly crushed seeds make a noticeable difference compared with pre-ground spice, but if you don’t love cardamom you can omit it and the cake will still be delightful.
I quartered Italian prune plums for this cake—scattering sliced plums through the batter and arranging some on top gives the cake a rustic, attractive look and balances the sweet cake with a slightly tart, juicy bite. I usually finish it with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar, though a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side is always welcome.
Cardamom-Plum Cake
Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD
Description: A fluffy, tender cake scented with cardamom and studded with juicy, ripe plums.
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 10 cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 ¼ cups sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 12 oz ripe plums, cut into ½” slices (yields about 2 cups sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9 x 2″ round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, crushed cardamom seeds and salt until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, sour cream, milk, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Scrape the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter comes together. Some small floury patches are fine—do not over-mix.
- Gently fold in about three quarters of the sliced plums so they are distributed through the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and arrange the remaining plum slices on top in an even layer.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the top is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Oven times vary, so begin checking at 35 minutes.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto a plate or an oven mitt, then carefully flip it right-side-up onto the rack to cool completely before transferring to a serving plate.
Serve the cake dusted with confectioners’ sugar, or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It keeps well covered at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for a few days—bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
This cake celebrates seasonal fruit and the fragrant lift of cardamom. It’s simple enough for a weeknight bake and pretty enough for guests—rustic, homey and delicious.
