Friends, it’s officially stone fruit season. Bring on all the peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, and — for our purposes today — plums! I love baking with stone fruits. They lend themselves so well to pies, cakes, bars, and jam (which isn’t really baking I guess, but baking-adjacent). Stone fruits have a decent amount of firmness to them, but when you bake them, they sort of melt and go all soft and jammy. Yum.
Before I baked with plums for the first time (years ago now…in a pie, I believe), I had enjoyed snacking on them but never thought of putting them into baked treats. But once I tasted them baked I was sold. Now I’m a huge fan of plums in baked goods, especially with a dusting of sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Up until recently, this Plum Slab Pie was my top choice for a plum treat. But now this Sunken Plum Snack Cake has taken…well, the cake.
Snack Cakes Are the Best Cakes
So a snack cake is also a relatively new thing to me — at least, the name of it is new. I’m not sure I had ever heard it described as such until sometime during the past few years. A snack cake is really just a simple, one-layer cake that sometimes has frosting or glaze, but not always. (This Devil’s Food Snack Cake is an example of one with frosting.)
This particular snack cake isn’t frosted, and frankly, it doesn’t need to be. It’s utterly, divinely delicious all on its own, no frosting necessary. It’s so quick and simple to mix up (you don’t really even need a mixer…a bowl and whisk will work just fine) that you’ll have it in the oven in mere moments.
It’s also incredibly versatile. Don’t like plums, or can’t find them at the store? Try any stone fruit — peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines — or go for berries and make it with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or a combination of any of the above. Heck, in the winter, this would even be great with apples or cranberries!
This cake is delicious served warm from the oven or at room temperature, and can hold its own or play host to a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
In other words, this cake is quick, easy, versatile, AND delicious. I don’t know about you, but that’s my favorite kind of cake.
Like Christmas in July
My inspiration for this cake was this Sunken Strawberry Cake from Lion’s Bread. For my version, I decided to add some brown sugar and dark rum for a caramelly, almost musky flavor that complements the plums so well. I also opted for cornmeal for a slightly crumbly texture.
I also added a dusting of cinnamon and sugar to the plums before placing them on the cake. As the plums melt into the cake, their flavor combines with the cinnamon for a warm, lightly spiced, jammy flavor (which makes it sound kind of like wine…come to think of it, this cake would be fantastic with a dark red).
The result is a toothsome cake swimming in the flavors of brown butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and rum topped with tender cinnamon-laced plums. It’s honestly a bit Christmassy in flavor (perfect for Christmas in July!). But also, topped with some whipped cream or ice cream, it’s the ideal post-BBQ treat.
A Few FAQs For Sunken Plum Snack Cake
To answer a few questions I anticipate getting about this cake…
Can I use any variety of plum?
Yep! Use whatever you can find — they’ll all be delicious. You can even mix a couple of varieties together. I made the one in the photos with two different varieties, and it turned out both delicious and pretty.
Do I have to brown the butter?
No, but you won’t get the same rich, dark, caramelly flavor without it. Plus, it’s not difficult or all that time-consuming to brown butter. Here are some step-by-step instructions if you’ve never done it before.
I don’t have rum — what else can I use?
I found that dark rum adds just the right touch of warmth and muskiness, but you could definitely use bourbon, brandy, or whisky as well. Or, if you want to skip the booze altogether, just add another teaspoon or so of vanilla in its place.
Do I have to use parchment paper?
No. It makes it much easier to pull out of the pan and serve, and I like the rustic look the cake gets from it. But you could certainly ditch it and just grease the pan really, really well with butter and dust it with flour. And I’d skip the 2T of granulated sugar that coats the outside of the cake just to make sure it doesn’t stick.
Have more questions? Leave me a comment below!
Love Summer Fruit Recipes? Check These Out
Okay, one more thing before we get to baking. If you’re a fan of summer fruit desserts, I have a few more for you to try:
- Strawberry White Chocolate Scones
- Peaches and Cream Cake
- Peach Ginger Pie
- Plum Slab Pie
- Sour Cherry Galette
And now, without further ado…let’s get to that Sunken Plum Snack Cake!
Happy Baking!
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Sunken Plum Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 c butter
- 1/2 c cornmeal
- 1 c all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 T dark rum
- 3 small plums, pitted and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 T granulated sugar, to dust pan
- 2 T turbinado sugar (raw sugar) or coarse sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Melt butter in a light-colored, heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, occasionally swirling the pan or stirring until the butter is amber-colored and smells nutty. (See my brown butter post here for more detailed instructions). Immediately pour brown butter into a separate bowl and allow to cool for about 25 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9-inch cake pan (at least 2 inches tall) with parchment paper so the paper reaches all the way up the sides and hangs over the edges. Spray with nonstick baking spray or grease with butter or oil. Sprinkle with the 2 T of granulated sugar, tilting the pan to coat the bottom and up the sides of the parchment with sugar. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sliced plums, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1 1/2 tsp sugar, stirring until all of the plum slices are coated with cinnamon-sugar. Set aside.
- In another small mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or a whisk and some elbow grease), mix the cooled brown butter and both sugars until combined. Then add the eggs and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until light-colored and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and rum and mix until combined.
- Add the cornmeal-flour mixture to the bowl and mix just until combined. Scrape batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to spread it to the edges and smooth the top. Arrange the plum slices on top, then sprinkle with the 2T turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Move to a cooling rack to cool, then remove cake from pan, slice, and enjoy! Lovely on its own, but could also benefit from a dollop of lightly-sweetened whipped cream.
