This plum coffee cake is a tender and fluffy sponge cake, packed with juicy and sweet plums. It's quick and easy to make and a perfect treat to go along with a cup of coffee.
Plums are wonderful to use in baking. The juicy plums add just the right amount of moisture and tartness to this sweet and tender cake. Whipping up eggs with sugar gives so much lightness to the cake making it really fluffy and airy. The sour cream is a great addition, making the cake the perfect texture.
You can also use so many other fruit and berries in this cake instead of the plums. Peaches, apricots and nectarines are an excellent choice, because they are very similar in size and texture to plums. You can also use any kind of berries or a variation of berries in the cake.
This cake has a very similar texture to Apple Sharlotka, so if you have apples, I have a family favorite recipe that you can try as well.
Ingredients For Plum Coffee Cake:
I love the simplicity of the ingredients for this cake. I have them on hand almost all the time, so I can whip up the cake any time I want to make a quick dessert, so we have unexpected company.
Eggs and granulated sugar - I use large eggs in all my baking. It is important that the eggs are at room temperature otherwise they won't whip up as well and the cake will be much more flat.
Sour cream - the sour cream adds a bit of tartness as well as some rich creaminess to the batter. You can use plain yogurt instead of the sour cream as well. The sour cream also needs to be at room temperature for the best results. It will incorporate better into the batter if it's at room temperature.
Lemon zest - lemon zest adds such a delightful flavor and aroma to the cake. It really brings the cake up an extra level.
All purpose flour and baking powder - It's important to sift the flour and the baking powder together when adding it to the cake batter and carefully folding it in to keep the eggs that were whipped up in the batter from deflating as much as possible. This will keep the cake really tender, airy and fluffy.
Preparing the Plums For Baking:
It's really important to use ripe, sweet and juicy plums in the cake. If the plums aren't ripe enough and are more on the tart side, this will effect the cake. They won't get sweeter as they bake, so keep that in mind.
Cut the plums in half, removing the pit and then cut them into approximately ½ inch slices.
Like I mentioned, you can also use peaches, apricots or nectarines instead of the plums, preparing them exactly as you would the plums. You can also use any variety or berries. If the berries are small, like raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries or blueberries, add them in on top of the cake batter. You can also use pitted cherries or cut larger berries, like strawberries, in half or quarters.
Preparing the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. (You can line it with parchment paper if you'd like, which will make it easy to take out the cake out of the baking pan. I usually serve it right out of the baking sheet, so I skip the parchment paper.)
- Remove the pits from the plums and slice the plums into ½ inch pieces.
- Mix the eggs in a large bowl with a hand mixer or using a whisk attachment on a stand mixer, gradually pouring in the sugar. Mix for at least 5 minutes, until the eggs are pale yellow and fluffy.
- Add the sour cream and lemon zest, mixing it into the batter to combine.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour and baking powder over the batter. Very carefully fold it into the egg mixture, trying not to deflate the eggs as much as possible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Top with the prepared plums. Most of the plums will get covered with the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes.
- Cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing the cake to serve. If you used the parchment paper, invert the coffee cake onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper.
- Store the cake at room temperature, covered lightly with a clean kitchen towel, for 1-2 days. It is best served the same day.
Plum Coffee Cake
This plum coffee cake is a tender and fluffy sponge cake, packed with juicy and sweet plums. It's quick and easy to make and a perfect treat to go along with a cup of coffee.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: Sweets
Ingredients
- 6 medium plums, pitted and slide into ½ inch pieces
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use butter or oil to grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Cut each plum into ½ inch thick slices. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or using a hand mixer, mix the eggs, gradually adding the sugar until pale and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream and lemon zest; mix to combine.
- Sift the flour and baking powder over the batter and carefully fold it into the egg mixture, trying not to deflate the eggs as much as possible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Top with the prepared plums. As you arrange the plums on top of the batter, some of them will become submerged in the batter and some may stay more towards the top of the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until the cake is completely baked through in the center. I use a wooden skewer to check for doneness. It should come out completely clean, with no batter on the skewer.
- Cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Store the cake at room temperature, covered slightly with a clean kitchen towel, for 1-2 days.
Notes
If you want to take the cake out of the baking pan, line it with parchment paper before pouring the batter into the baking pan.
Instead of plums, you can also use sliced nectarines or peaches, also cut into ½ inch thick slices. You can also use berries.
This is an updated version of the Plum Coffee Cake recipe that was published originally on March 20, 2013. I have updated the pictures and clarified the instructions, but the recipe is still the same. Enjoy!
I made this cake with nectarines a couple of weeks ago, with plain yogurt. It was delicious, not too sweet, more of a breakfast option if one likes their desserts on the sweeter side. Now, I hope I can find nice and ripe plums and I'll try it again. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Yes, it's a perfect breakfast recipe, Rita. using nectarines is a great idea.
Delicious! My husband and I ate it in less than 24 hours! 🙂 I made it with fresh plums and peaches.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Julia. Peaches are great in this coffeecake too:).
YUMMERS!!
Hi Olga,
If the plums I have are really ripe and mushy and I'm not even sure if I'm able to cut them - they'll just fall apart - will it work or is it too late?
Thank you!
You'll still have to take the pit out of the plums. I've never made it with overripe plums, but I think it should still work. Let me know how it turns out, Ilona.
Unfortunately, I waited for too long so they got completely bad. Guess I'll just have to try it with fresh and good ones. Thanks for the reply!
Oh, I hate when that happens! I hope you give it a try next time, Ilona:).
I made this today with gluten free all purpose flour and it was delicious
That's wonderful, Lindsay! Good for you.
Hi Olga,
Can I use dried fruit instead of fresh? What do you think? I bought it from Costco and the fruit is super soft. It's delicious.
I wouldn't recommend it, Liliya. Although it would work out fine, the taste and texture will be completely different. As the fresh fruit bakes it becomes so0 soft and juicy. You just cant get the same results with dry fruit. Although, it would still taste good. It's up to you.
Hi Olga,
the cake is in the oven and I can't wait for it to be ready. One question.. on the picture the batter looks white and mine is yellow, do you know why? Is it the eggs?
It might be the eggs. Some eggs have much more yellow yolks than others, or maybe you didn't mix the batter long enough.
Excellent recipe. I love that there is no butter. I eat it guilt free 🙂
Yep, and it's so simple to prepare too, Mila.
hello, what if i made this like a cupcake/muffin and cut the plums into smaller pieces?
That sounds like a great idea, Alina.
I've never made it myself that way. If you try it out, let me know how it turns out.
I made this plum coffee cake last night (3 plums and 4 nectarines is what I had on hand) and it turned out so tasty! Simple recipe yet so full of flavor. By the way, I only have a third of this cake left and it hasn't been even 24 hrs. Ooops! Thanks for another great recipe.
I like it with nectarines/peaches too. Maybe even more than the plums?:).
Glad you enjoyed it, Olga.
how is this a coffee cake if it has no coffee in it?
Ha ha! Good one Marina:).
Coffee cakes are actually moist and tender cakes that are served with coffee or tea.
Coffee flavored cake would be really yummy though. I would probably make it with chocolate. Chocolate coffee cake sounds delicious.
how is this a caffee cake if it has no coffee in it? lol
Olga, I made this coffeecake this week with white whole wheat flour instead. It was great.. I am with you, perfect coffee side or breakfast, yum! Loved the juicy plums in it. Thanks !!!! 🙂
What a great idea! I'll have to remember that. I'm so glad it worked out.
Looks delicious!! Will be making this today!
I am the same way Olga, I will pick a good coffee cake over cakes layered with creme. And I have been craving a good coffee cake, so thanks for this post, this cake looks absolutely marvelous! Actually everything you post looks marvelous 🙂
That's great, Oksana! I hope you like it. I'll be making another one in the next few days too:).