This delicious Almond Plum Cake tastes like a cross between cake and fruit cobbler. Thanks to soft roasted plums, almond paste, and a generous amount of Amaretto liquor, the texture of this cake is so moist it's almost a fruit cobbler.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Why This Recipe Works

This Almond Plum Cake is made from three of my favorite things:

1. Sweet plums
2. Almond paste
3. Amaretto.

The combination creates a custard like crumb that's so tender and creamy it's almost like a sliceable fruit cobbler.

Deliciousness aside, I also love this recipe because it's the kind of crowd pleasing cake that seems 100% appropriate for pretty much any situation or time of day.

For example, most cakes just kind of naturally lend themselves to certain situations:

• Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake and Buttermilk Coffee Cake for breakfast or brunch.
• Lemon Berry Snack Cake for picnics, an after school snack, or just an afternoon pick-me-up.
• A fancy Champagne Layer Cake for celebrations or dinner parties.

Yet somehow, this Cake is right at home anywhere, at any time, for any occasion. Breakfast, brunch, afternoon snack, dessert, backyard BBQ or fancy dinner party. All of them call for Almond Plum Cake.

Or, perhaps I just want the excuse to eat cake at any time of the day and want to offer you the same. You're welcome. 😉

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

What Kind of Plums Are Best For This Cake?

Plums can be divided into two main groups:

1. European Plums
2. Japanese Plums

Japanese plums

Most fresh plums found in supermarket produce bins are the Japanese variety, including black plums, red plums, and yellow plums.

While red plums are my favorite kind to eat fresh, black plums are my favorite variety of Japanese plums to use in baking. Black plums are typically more sweet than sour and sturdy enough to hold their shape during cooking or baking.

European plums

European plums, also known as Prunus Domestica, are small, oblong shaped, and sometimes labeled as “fresh prunes” in supermarkets and farmer's markets. They are sweet, naturally small, and not excessively juicy - qualities that make them ideal for drying into prunes, and also make them great for baking.

If you can find them, European plums are the perfect size and texture for this cake.

If your local market doesn't carry European plums, small black Japanese plums will work equally well. The goal is to look for very small black plums that are ripe but still somewhat firm.

If the only thing available to you are large, super ripe and juicy plums, cut them into quarters and place them in a colander set over the sink. Let them sit for about 30 minutes so that some of the excess juice can drain out and you'll be good to go.

Another great option, if you can find them, are damson plums, which are often too sour for fresh eating but contribute sweet-tart fruity flavor to this cake.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

What is Almond Paste and Where Can You Find It?

Almond paste is nothing more than almonds ground with confectioners sugar, almond extract and an egg white to bind it all together. For such a humble ingredient, almond paste is absolutely magical in baked goods, contributing moisture, flavor, and a level of richness that's difficult to get from other ingredients. I'm a fan.

You can find almond paste in most supermarkets, order it from Amazon, or make it yourself.

How to make almond paste:

1. Add 1 & ½ cups of blanched almonds to a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are ground to the consistency of coarse sand.
2. Add 1 & ½ cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar, 1 large egg white, and 1 teaspoon almond extract
3. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Recipe: Almond Plum Cake

This recipe was originally published on ofbatteranddough.com. for more detailed instructions and photos, please see the original recipe: Almond Plum Cake

• 16 small plums (about 16 oz/ 1 lb)
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon table salt (2 ½ teaspoon kosher salt)
• 8 oz almond paste
• 12 tablespoon butter (1 ½ sticks), at room temperature (Here's how to bring butter to room temperature)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature (here's how to quickly bring eggs to room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar + 3 tablespoon for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 tablespoon + ¼ cup Amaretto liquor, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable shortening. Cut out a piece of parchment paper so that it covers the bottom of the pan. Grease the top of the parchment paper. Shake about ½ cup of flour around inside the pan so that it’s coated with flour. Shake out the excess. (Here's how to keep cakes from sticking to the pan.)
2. Cut the plums in half and remove their seeds. If using larger plums, cut them in half, remove the seed, and then cut each half into quarters. (If the plums are really juicy, place the cut up pieces in a colander set in the sink and let them sit for about 30 minutes to allow the excess juice to drip out.)
3. In a medium size bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk to combine.
4. Add the almond paste to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute just to break up the almond paste. Add the butter and beat on medium high for 1 minute to combine with the almond paste.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition and beating on medium-high for 20 seconds before adding the next egg.
6. Add the lemon zest and 1 ⅓ cups of the sugar and beat on medium-high for another 2-3 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add the almond extract and ¼ cup of the Amaretto and beat just long enough to combine.
7. Gently stir the flour mixture into the batter, mixing just long enough to incorporate. Scoop the batter into the prepared springform pan, smoothing the top.
8. Place the plums cut side down across the surface of the cake in one layer. Sprinkle 3 tablespoon granulated sugar over the top of the cake.
9. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any liquid batter clinging to it. (*See note below about how to know when this cake is done baking.)
10. Remove the cake to a wire rack and let sit for 5 minutes. Run the blunt edge of a knife or flat metal spatula along the sides of the cake and then release and remove the side of the pan. Brush the top of the cake with 3 tablespoon Amaretto. Let cool completely before serving.
11. If desired, serve with sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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