Yogurt Plum Cake with Lemon and Cornmeal

When fresh plums are in season, make this lemon-infused, deeply aromatic, Yogurt Plum Cake with Lemon and Cornmeal.  You won’t be sorry!  The cake is made with oil and butter to keep it tender and cornmeal for a delightful bite.  It bakes up beautifully golden with crisp edges and is perfect for dessert, snacking, or with afternoon coffee.

This easy-prep cake uses a single 9-inch round pan and no icing or frosting is needed.  A dollop of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar can help finish the cake for serving to guests, but feel free to keep it simple for easy snacking. 

Brown sugar helps to bring a deep flavor to the crumb without it being overly sweet, but the lemon flavor really shines here.  We love lemon in all things sweet and savory, like this Avgolemono Soup, Lemon Ricotta Shells, or Edamame and Lemon Spread.

Ingredients

I include ingredient notes here when I think they’ll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Plums - Fresh plums should be washed, dried, and sliced.  Use any variety of plums you have available, but use fruit that isn’t overly ripe so that once it is baked you still have distinct pieces of fruit and not just a jammy puddle.
• Brown Sugar - Using brown sugar in the recipe adds a deeper flavor with molasses notes, but also keeps the cake extra moist and tender.
• Lemon - Both the zest and the juice are used here, so a fresh lemon is essential.  Make sure to zest it before juicing for the easiest prep.
• All-Purpose Flour - All-purpose flour has enough protein to carry the dense cornmeal but still gives you a tender-crumbed cake.
• Butter and Oil - Using both butter and oil delivers a cake with the rich flavor of butter but the moist crumb that oil helps develop.
• Greek Yogurt - Yogurt adds richness to the batter as well as a bit of acid to provide lift to the cake when combined with the lemon juice and baking soda.  Use 2% or full-fat yogurt here.
• Baking Soda - As the leavening agent in this recipe, baking soda helps the cake rise for a lighter texture, even with the addition of cornmeal.
• Cornmeal - Cornmeal provides a nutty bite to the texture of the cake, helping to create crisp edges.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and gather your ingredients!

Prepare your cake pan by spraying the bottom and sides of the pan with cooking spray and then lining the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the sliced plums, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon flour.  Stir everything together well and set aside.

In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter.  Alternatively, melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Add the ½ cup brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, yogurt, lemon juice, and zest.

Whisk the wet ingredients until well combined into a smooth mixture.

Sprinkle the flour, cornmeal, and baking soda over the dry ingredients.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until combined, mixing only until no dry ingredients are visible.

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top so that the surface is even.

Stir the plum topping once again to get the juices well distributed among the plums.

Spoon the plums over the batter in an even layer.  Drizzle any extra syrupy juices over the top of the plums evenly.

Bake the cake for 42-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Try to insert the toothpick into the cake portion, avoiding any plums.

Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the edges.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before running the knife around the edges again.  Invert it onto a cooling rack or cutting board and then flip it once again onto the final serving platter.  Allow it to cool 15 additional minutes before serving.

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Olive Oil - If you have a particularly fruity olive oil on hand, feel free to swap olive oil for the vegetable oil.  The flavor really compliments the lemon and plums.
• Different Stone Fruit - Use fresh pitted cherries, apricots, or nectarines in place of the plums.  Don’t use an overly ripe or frozen fruit, however, or the texture will be very soft and jammy in the cake.
• Swap Orange for Lemon - In the winter months, swap the lemon zest for orange zest! Omit the plum topping altogether, and swirl in spoonfuls of warmed orange marmalade before baking.

Equipment

This yogurt plum cake is most often prepared in a 9-inch round heavyweight baking pan, but you can use an 8-inch square pan instead for similar results. 

If you don’t have a microwave, melt your butter on the stovetop in a small sauce pan

Serving Suggestions

The cake can be served casually as-is with its pretty burnished gold edges.  You can also dust the top or edges with powdered sugar for a simple step that dresses it up nicely.

Yogurt plum cake is delicious when served with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, too!

Top Tip for Slicing

The best tool for getting clean slices that don’t crumble or tear the plums is a serrated knife.  A large bread knife will help you cut across the whole cake for even slices.