This juicy blood plum cake with a sugary crust is the perfect balance of sweet ‘n’ sour

Name: This juicy blood plum cake with a sugary crust is the perfect balance of sweet ‘n’ sour
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 225g plain flour; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 150g caster sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 120g full-fat sour cream, plus extra to serve; 4-5 small blood plums, halved pits removed, then sliced into 1cm wedges; icing sugar, for dusting

Helen Goh

March 21, 2025

Serve each slice with a dollop of sour cream.William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:8-10

The sweet-tart intensity of blood plums makes them wonderful to bake with, and I’ve paired them here with a tender, sour-cream cake base. The plums nestle into the buttery batter and turn juicy, while the cardamom sugar creates a sparkly crust as it bakes.

Serve at room temperature for afternoon tea, or warm it and eat as a dessert with a dollop of sour cream.

Ingredients

225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g full-fat sour cream, plus extra to serve
4-5 small blood plums, halved pits removed, then sliced into 1cm wedges
icing sugar, for dusting

FOR THE CARDAMOM SUGAR CRUST

2 tbsp (40g) caster sugar
½ tsp ground cardamom (from the seeds of 12 cardamom pods)
1 tbsp melted butter

Method

Step 1
Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 175C fan-forced (195C conventional).
Step 2
To make the sugar crust, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix to the consistency of wet sand. Set aside.
Step 3
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl, then set aside.
Step 4
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture’s light and creamy (about 2 minutes).
Step 5
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a flexible spatula, scrape the base and sides of the bowl, as well as the paddle, and continue to beat for a few more seconds.
Step 6
Add the vanilla, then, on low speed, alternately add the sifted dry ingredients and sour cream in 2-3 batches. Scrape down the base and sides of the bowl to make sure the batter is evenly mixed, then transfer to the prepared cake tin.
Step 7
Arrange the sliced plums on the batter without overlapping, then scatter the sandy cardamom sugar all over. Place the cake in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the tin.
Step 8
Dust the top of the cake lightly with icing sugar and serve with the extra sour cream.