Now it’s July, plum season is in full-swing, and this Plum Cake with Toffee Sauce is a delightful way to enjoy this stone fruit.
There are several components to this cake which make it so fabulous. The cake itself is spiced with cinnamon, with the juicy plums adding a delicious sweet-but-tart complexity to an otherwise simple butter cake. It then has a lightly spiced (cardamom & cinnamon) almond streusel on top which gives a lovely crunch. And the homemade toffee sauce drizzled on top gives it a true decadence, and takes it from a cake you’d enjoy with a cup of coffee, to a cake fit for the dessert table.
Toffee Sauce:
Making the toffee sauce is simple but you must remember two key points:
- Stir continuously. This is vital. Do not think you can leave the toffee bubbling away on the stovetop while you go and get the washing in. It will burn. So make sure to stir it the whole time its cooking.
- Do not over-cook. There is a fine line between toffee sauce that’s done, and toffee sauce that’s burnt. If you do burn it, you’re best to make a fresh batch, as burnt toffee tastes bitter. Once the sauce has come to a gentle boil, it only takes another minute for it to be ready.
Choosing the right plums for baking:
There are many different varieties of plums, and for this cake, you’re best to find the most tart ones. I like to use the purple plums with dark red flesh. In New Zealand, we have a variety of purple plums called Black Doris, which are perfect for this recipe. Purple Italian prune plums are also ideal. But if you can’t find purple plums, other plums will do.
When choosing your plums, go for firm-ripe ones. You don’t want them super-soft, nor hard as a rock, but somewhere in between. They should have a fragrant smell and have smooth, taut skin. Avoid any with cracked skin or soft spots. If the plums have silvery-grey film, this is fine. It is an indicator of ripeness. When squeezed gently in the palm of your hand, the plum should feel firm yet springy. This will ensure the plums are easy to slice, and they will hold their shape during baking without releasing too much juice.
How to ripen plums:
If you can only find hard plums, the best way to get them to ripen is to put them in a paper bag with an apple or banana and leave them at room temperature for a couple of days. Once plums are ripe, you can store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for several days.
How to cut the plums into slices:
- Use a very sharp knife for the best results. Begin by slicing the plum along the seam, and cutting it all the way around.
- Twist the plum open so you now have two halves.
- Take the half that has the pit and place it pit-side down on the cutting board. Slice the half into quarters, and gently twist of each slice to release it from the pit.
- Take the other half and slice into quarters.
Plum Cake with Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
Topping
- 5 medium plums (12 oz, 340g)
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons butter salted, melted
Cake
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (115g) butter unsalted, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk *See notes
Toffee Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Grease a 9 inch (23 cm) springform cake pan, set aside.
- Halve, pit and slice the plums into 8 pieces.
Make the topping:
- In a small bowl, mix together the almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and melted butter until combined. Set aside.
Make the cake:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add vanilla extract. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Place the plum slices in an even layer over the top, then spread the almond topping over the plums.
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the centre feels just set (a toothpick inserted into the centre should be clean). Check the cake in the last 10 minutes of baking, if the top is browning too much, cover with aluminium foil. Once done, cool cake completely on a wire rack and remove the sides of the springform pan.
Make the toffee sauce:
- In a small saucepan, mix the butter, brown sugar, cream and vanilla and bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and spoon the sauce over the cake when ready to serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own with a scant 1/2 cup of plain milk mixed with a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes then it’s ready to use.
- Cake is best served at room temperature or slightly warmed.
- Cake will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Looks sooo amazing and the toffee sauce very decadent