THE HEALTHY PLUM CAKE Recipe

This is the recipe I promised to one of my friends — the cake I bake every September, on the same afternoon I make my birthday wish and blow out a candle I have usually been thinking about since June. It has changed a great deal over the years, mostly by subtraction: less sugar, less butter, more plum. What's left is a cake I genuinely want a second slice of, and don't regret the first.

Plums are at their best right through late August and September — the last of the stone fruit before the market stalls fill with figs and the first pears. They don't need much help. A ripe plum, halved and baked, turns jammy and slightly sharp against the crumb around it, which means you can afford to be quite a lot less generous with the sugar bowl than most plum cake recipes assume.

THE RECIPE

The Healthy Plum Cake

One 22–23cm cake, enough for ten slices if you're being reasonable, eight if you're not.

20 min PREP

50 min BAKE

175°C OVEN / 350°F

10 SERVES

Dry

• Wholewheat or spelt flour 150g

• Ground almonds (almond flour) 80g

• Baking powder 1½ tsp

• Baking soda ½ tsp

• Fine sea salt ½ tsp

• Ground cinnamon 1 tsp

• Ground cardamom (optional, but worth it) ¼ tsp

Wet

• Extra virgin olive oil, mild 90ml

• Coconut sugar or raw honey 90g

• Large eggs 2

• Greek yogurt 150g

• Vanilla extract 1 tsp

• Zest of 1 orange (optional)

Fruit & Topping

• Ripe plums, halved and stoned (opt for firmer fruit) 500g

• Demerara or coconut sugar, for the top 1 tbsp

• Flaked almonds (optional) 2 tbsp

01

HEAT & PREPARE

Set Up the Tin

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 22–23cm springform tin with parchment, lightly oiled.

02

MIX THE DRY

Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, whisk the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.

03

MIX THE WET

Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil and coconut sugar (or honey) until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, then the yogurt, vanilla and orange zest.

04

COMBINE

Fold, Don't Overmix

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in two batches, mixing only until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing is the only real way to ruin this cake.

05

FOLD IN THE PLUMS

Let the Fruit In

Fold about two-thirds of the plum halves through the batter. Pour into the tin and smooth the top.

06

ARRANGE & BAKE

Top and Into the Oven

Arrange the remaining plum quarters, cut-side up, over the top. Scatter with demerara sugar and flaked almonds. Bake 45–55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is deep gold.

07

COOL & REST

Wait, If You Can

Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then move to a crystal cake stand. Best slightly warm, or the next day with coffee — the plums only get better with a night to settle.

Enjoy and share your thoughts