You'll love this delicious, moist, and easy plum cake with nuts! Use plums that are ripe, but still firm, so they hold their shape while baking and don't become mushy. Serve plum cake warm with a little ice cream or even a dollop of labneh. This plum cake recipe is also ideal to prepare ahead, as it will keep for around 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container or cake stand.
Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Or simply line the pan with parchment paper instead. (You can use a cake pan if you don’t have a springform pan; but if you do so, leave an overhang with the parchment paper so you can easily lift out the cake.)
In a food processor, combine the pistachios and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and pulse until they are a beautiful green sandy texture. Add the butter and remaining sugar and pulse until fully incorporated. Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla, and pulse again, scraping down the sides once or twice with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and pulse a few times. Add the remaining flour mixture and pulse just until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the surface with the spatula. Lightly press the plums into the batter and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Scatter the turbinado sugar over the batter. Bake the cake until the edges are deeply golden brown and a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Make ahead tips: You can make the cake up to 3 days in advance. Allow it to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container or cake stand at room temperature.
Serving ideas: This plum cake is delicious eaten plain with a hot drink, or with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of labneh on top.
What to do with leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. You can also refrigerate the cake for up to 5 days.
Freezing instructions: Double wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap or foil. You can either freeze that as is, or place it into a freezer-safe bag for extra protection. The cake will freeze well for up to 3 months.