This vegan plum cake with almond flour is the perfect dessert for late summer and autumn or anytime during plum season. The almond and plum flavors are perfectly balanced, and the cake is moist and delicious!
Whether you're hosting a special event or want something sweet to enjoy at home with a cup of coffee or tea, this vegan plum and almond cake is sure to please. Plus, it's easy to make - you need a few simple ingredients.

This vegan cake has been a long-time favorite of mine that I recently veganized. To learn about the inspiration for this cake, read more below.
Jump to:
Try my Poached Pears in Red Wine and vegan cakes such as Chocolate Blood Orange Cake and Vegan Chocolate Fig Cupcakes for lovely and impressive desserts. How about these baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts?
If you're looking for a new cocktail to try, take a look at my Plum Ginger Gin Sour!
When are plums in season?
Plums are in season typically from late June through September. Most of the USA's plum crops are grown in California and are in season from May through October.
There are around 300 varieties of plums grown within the USA. The two main types of plums grown commercially are European and Japanese. European plums have thick skins and typically have freestone pits, meaning the pits are easy to remove. These plums are usually grown to be dried plums, or prunes.
Japanese plums come in different colors and varieties, have thin skins, and usually are clingstone fruits, meaning the fruit clings to the pit, making it hard to remove (like the plums I used in this recipe).
How to choose plums
Buy plums when they are in season for the best taste. Try to shop for them at farmers markets. They should be firm to the touch and slightly soft, not very soft. Avoid plums that are hard to the touch, have punctures, broken skin, or brown spots. If you need to ripen them, place them in a paper bag loosely closed at room temperature.
Once the plums are ripe, eat them or put them in the fridge to slow down any further ripening. If your plums are too soft, put them in a smoothie instead.
Inspiration
My vegan plum cake recipe was inspired by Jacques Pépin's Quick Almond and Plum Cake recipe I found in Food & Wine magazine years ago. However, I was making it long before I went vegan, so I have adapted it to be egg-free and dairy-free, as well as making other changes to suit my preferences.
Since I have super-fine almond flour in the pantry, I used that instead of grinding whole almonds in the food processor.
I sliced the plums and layered them on top of the cake instead of placing whole pitted plums on the cake batter, as the original recipe did.
Since I don't have plum jam, I used the fruit preserves I picked up at Costco, four fruit preserves. I added a sprinkle of crème de cassis (blackberry liqueur) to loosen the preserves for brushing the top of the cake after it cooled slightly out of the oven.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make this simple vegan plum almond cake with a light texture:
- Fresh ripe plums - I used Japanese black plums, which have a balance of sweet and tart flavors. These plums are clingstone which means the flesh clings to the pit. You can use which ripe plums you can find, including Santa Rosa, Black Friar, and other varieties.
- Flaxseed meal - This is mixed with water to create an egg replacement in this cake recipe. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes to make flax eggs.
- Extra-fine almond flour for a light texture.
- Spelt flour - Spelt is an ancient grain and is related to barley, rye, and wheat; this slightly nutty flour contains gluten and is similar to all-purpose flour. I love this organic sprouted spelt flour from One Degree Organics.
- Grapeseed oil - I like using this oil in baking since it is neutral and tolerates heat.
- Preserves - For glazing the cake. I love Bonne Maman's fruit preserves which I found at Costco. I used their four fruit preserves for this cake, but you can use any preserves you like. I mixed it with a small amount of blackberry liqueur to thin it.
- Vegan butter - I used Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks. Use whichever one you like.
- Vanilla extract and almond extract for flavor.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make this vegan plum almond cake recipe
It's easy to make this delicious plum cake; let me show you how!
First, you must wash and dry the plums and remove the pits. How to remove the pits if they are clingstone? I slice each plum into two halves, just past the middle of the plum on either side. Cut each half into thin slices.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the cake tin with vegan butter and line the bottom with parchment paper, greasing both sides of the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and creamy.
Add flaxseed meal mixture and beat until incorporated.
Add the remaining liquid ingredients, and beat for a minute until mixed.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix on low speed until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Layer plum slices in a circle, starting outside and moving toward the middle. Sprinkle with sugar - place the cake pan on a cookie sheet, place in the oven and bake.
Bake until the cake is slightly puffy and brown on top, from 50 - 65 minutes, depending on your oven and how juicy the fruit is.
How to know if the cake is done? Insert the tip of a clean wooden toothpick in the center - it should have a few crumbs.
Once the cake has baked long enough, let it cool on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, I recommend removing the parchment from the bottom of the cake to avoid sogginess.
How to serve
Mix the fruit preserves and crème de cassis (if using) in a small bowl and brush the top of the slightly warm cake with the mixture, if desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with vegan ice cream or coconut whipped cream if desired.
Hint: If you bake this cake in a round pan as I did and not in a springform with a removable bottom, you can still flip the cake out without too much fuss. Here's how:
- Cut around the baked edges of the cake with a small sharp, flexible knife.
- Then, cut another circle of parchment the same size as the cake pan. Place it on top of the cake once it has cooled.
- Then invert the cake on a small cooling rack. I recommend removing the parchment from the bottom of the cake to avoid sogginess.
- Flip the cake right side up on another cooling rack (or plate) and remove the parchment paper from the top of the cake.
Substitutions
Here are a few simple swaps you can make for this delicious cake:
- Almond flour - Instead of almond meal, try hazelnut flour or a mixture. If you have whole almonds, you can grind them up in the food processor; however, the cake's texture will change slightly.
- Almond milk - I went with an almond theme for this cake, but you can use the milk of your choice, such as organic soy milk or oat milk.
- Spelt flour - Use all-purpose flour instead.
- Grapeseed oil - You can use another oil of your choice, such as olive oil or coconut oil.
- Organic cane sugar - Try coconut sugar, brown sugar, or a mix.
- Four fruit preserves - You can use any preserves you like. Plum or apricot preserves would be lovely!
Variations
Here are a few options to vary the recipe to suit your preferences:
- Gluten-free - Use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend instead of spelt flour.
- Deluxe - Add slivered almonds on the cake before baking for extra crunch.
- Kid-friendly - Skip adding the crème de cassis to the fruit preserves. You can skip brushing the cake with the preserves as well. It's a nice touch for presentation and adds even more flavor, but it is not essential.
- Plums - If you don't have fresh plums, try other stone fruit such as pitted apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, or a mix. Or try pears!
- Spices - Add spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, or nutmeg.
- Citrus - Add lemon zest or orange zest to the cake batter.
Equipment
If you use a springform pan, place it on a baking sheet before you put it in the oven in case there is any leakage from the plums.
I used a 9-inch round cake pan. If you like a slightly taller cake, choose an 8-inch round or square cake pan. You will have to adjust the baking time and bake the cake a bit longer.
Check with a wooden toothpick every five minutes until baked crumbs cling to the toothpick.
Storage
This vegan plum almond cake is best served the day it is made. It makes for a nice snack or breakfast the next day.
Refrigerate: Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for two to three days.
Freezing: This vegan plum cake does not stand up well to freezing because the fruit will get mushy when defrosted. If you want to freeze the cake, do not top it with fruit. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing it, then defrost it in the refrigerator while still wrapped.
Expert tip
Use ripe plums, but not overly ripe plums, since they would be too juicy for the cake.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you make this recipe, please take a moment to ★★★★★ star rate it and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.
Related
These are my favorite drinks to serve with this vegan plum almond cake:
Pairing
Looking for more vegan baking recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Vegan Plum Almond Cake
Equipment
- hand mixer
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, softened plus additional for greasing the cake pan
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal mix with 5 tablespoons water
- 5 ripe plums approximately 1 ¼ pounds
- ⅔ cup organic cane sugar
- ⅓ cup almond milk
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1 cup super-fine almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons four fruit preserves optional, or plum preserves
- 1 teaspoon crème de cassis (blackberry liqueur) optional, or brandy or plum brandy
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the inside of the cake pan with vegan butter and line the bottom with parchment paper, greasing both sides of the parchment paper.4 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
- Combine flaxseed meal with water in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, wash and dry plums, cut into thin slices and remove pits.2 tablespoons flaxseed meal, 5 ripe plums
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add flaxseed meal mixture and beat until incorporated.⅔ cup organic cane sugar
- Add almond milk, grapeseed oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat for a minute until mixed in.⅓ cup almond milk, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift spelt flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Add to liquid mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated, approximately one minute. With a spatula, be sure to include the batter on the sides of the bowl. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.1 cup spelt flour, 1 cup super-fine almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Layer plum slices in a circle, starting at the outside and moving toward the middle. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of sugar.2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- Place the cake on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for at least 50 minutes and up to 60 to 65 minutes, or until cake is slightly puffy and browning on top. Insert the tip of a clean wooden toothpick in the center - it should have a few crumbs on it, not uncooked batter. Cool on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Mix the four fruit preserves and crème de cassis in a small bowl and brush the top of the slightly warm cake with the mixture, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.2 ½ tablespoons four fruit preserves, 1 teaspoon crème de cassis (blackberry liqueur)
Notes
Nutrition
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Brian
Mr Resplendent Kitchen here - this really is a great cake recipe and should be on your short list of things to bake.
It's quite delicious!
Emily
Thank you so much, Brian, I am so happy you enjoyed it!
Amy Liu Dong
Such an easy and tasty dessert to make for my kids this weekend. I am sure they will love this!
Emily
Thank you, Amy, I hope you all enjoy it!
Erin
My mom has plums growing outside her house! I have to try this gorgeous recipe!
Emily
Thank you, Erin! I hope you and your mom can can try those plums in this recipe soon. Enjoy!
Nancy
Love this in-season plum cake! I just bought a box of plums from Costco! Perfect!
Emily
Hi Nancy! Thanks for leaving such a great review!
Natalie
I made your beautiful vegan cake and had it with my friend with a cup of tea. We both enjoyed it, it's delicious, thanks!
Emily
Thank you for trying out my plum cake recipe, Natalie! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Swathi
This vegan plum cake looks delicious. I need to try it. Plum cakes are my weakness.
Emily
Thank you, Swathi!
Sunrita
So I made this cake as I have always felt a bit unsure about gluten free cakes. Your step wise method made it so easy to follow. I went a bit less on the plums but added slivered almonds. And boy was I blown. My contribution to a pot luck lunch went well I must say ☺️. Thanks for the recipe.
Emily
Thank you for trying out my plum cake recipe, Sunrita! We're so glad it turned out well for you. 🙂 Thank you for the kind words and I'm happy to hear that this recipe was easy to follow.
Alina
You are writing that the overall cooking time 50 mins but then in the recipe yoh say tobake it 50 mins and the. 60-65 mins more on a cookie sheet!🤯 isnt it too long???
Emily
Thanks for pointing that out! The total time should be between 50-65 minutes, preferably on a cookie sheet. I updated the instructions. 🙂
Jennifer
Delicious cake and stunning presentation! I made it two days ago and am still enjoying the leftovers. Wonderful recipe!
Emily Miller
Thank you, Jennifer. I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this vegan plum almond cake!