Plum cake features prominently on the tea table when Mary Poppins and the children visit her Uncle Albert, a beloved moment for both fans of the book and the movie. Admittedly, I didn’t decorate mine with pink icing like the one in the book, but I did sprinkle it with sliced almonds and a dusting of sugar. I used a recipe by Nigella Lawson as a starting point, though I did make some key changes (such as adding cubed plums to the batter and sprinkling sliced almonds and sugar on top).

Interestingly, British plum cake can refer to two distinct styles of cake. The oldest form is studded with dried fruit (which were collectively referred to as “plums,” even if they were made of other fruit), and it’s closer to what today would be considered a fruit cake. Over time, plum cake in Britain became more synonymous with other European plum cakes, which involve a thick batter mixed with ground almonds and studded with fresh plums.

I love how the fresh, tart plums complement the nuttiness of the sponge cake. I was worried it would be too stodgy and wet due to the moisture in the plums, but the cake had a delightful fluffy texture. The perfect recipe to round off my last menu of the year!

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Uncle Albert’s Plum Cake

“At one end of it a fire was burning brightly and in the centre stood an enormous table laid for tea—four cups and saucers, piles of bread and butter, crumpets, coconut cakes, and a large plum cake with pink icing.”

— Mary Poppins

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Makes 1 9-inch plum cake

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round springform pan with cooking oil. Line the bottom with a parchment paper circle and coat the top of the circle with cooking oil. Set aside.
2. Cut the plums in half and discard the pits. Cube 4 of the plum halves. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla for 2 minutes or until frothy. Whisk in the melted butter.
5. Stir the wet mix into the dry mix until just combined (do not over-mix). Stir in the cubed plums until just combined.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and spread into an even layer. Evenly space the plum halves cut-side-up on top of the batter (depending on the size of your plums, you may not use them all). Sprinkle sliced almonds and sugar on top.
   
7. Bake for 75-85 minutes or until the center looks set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. You’ll want to stick the toothpick in a spot that doesn’t have plums or plum juice on it, since the moisture from those can cause batter to stick even if it’s done baking. These dry spots will be firm on top, so you’ll want to twist the toothpick as you press it in to get a clean puncture.
8. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Loosen the edges with a knife and remove from the pan, transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Serve at a tea party on the ceiling!
   

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Looking for more plum desserts?
Check out my recipe for Marilla’s Plum Puffs
in my cookbook, A LITERARY PICNIC!