This light and fruity Yogurt Plum Cake is one of the easiest yet most delicious cakes you'll ever make. Inspired by a traditional Polish yogurt cake passed down from my wife's grandmother, this simple and rustic dessert is tender and moist, with just the right touch of sweetness. It's the perfect cake for summer when plums are at their peak, but works beautifully with other seasonal fruits too.
There are a lot of great recipes that have been passed down for generations and this fruity yogurt cake comes from my wife's Polish grandmother Sam. The original family recipe-affectionately called "Sam Cake"-used no eggs, very little sugar, and measured ingredients using the yogurt jar itself (a classic old-world baking trick!). In my updated version, I've added an egg for structure, increased the sugar slightly, and baked it in an 8-inch round pan so there's a burst of fruit in every bite. The result is a moist, airy, European-style cake that's equally at home on the dessert table, at brunch, or even for breakfast with coffee.
To be honest, I never thought much of Sam Cake when my wife made it, but with these simple tweaks it's now one of my all-time favorite cakes yet retains that simple, rustic European-inspired yogurt cake that my wife considers her comfort food. It's incredibly versatile as just about any fruit works as a topping. Plus, you can easily double the recipe and bake the cake in a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Quick and easy recipe you can make in under an hour
- Uses simple pantry ingredients and fresh fruit
- Perfect for dessert, brunch, or even breakfast
- Not overly sweet
- Adaptable with different fruits
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Yogurt Plum Cake Ingredients
The beauty of this simple yogurt cake is you need a handful of very basic ingredients along with some fresh plums. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Plums. This cake is all about the plum topping. Choose whatever plums look ripe and delicious. We've made this with Italian plums, black plums, red plums, and even yellow plums.
- Greek Yogurt. I recommend using full-fat plain yogurt. The original recipe likely used a yogurt with added sugar, but I recommend using plain and adding your own sugar.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar goes into the batter and is sprinkled on top of the fruit to sweeten them a bit.
- All-Purpose Flour. Regular all-purpose flour works best here. If you want to use whole wheat, I recommend using half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour to avoid the cake getting too dense.
- Baking Powder. A bit of baking powder adds to this cake's light and airy texture.
- Egg. The original recipe had no eggs but I added one to provide texture and just a touch of richness.
- Oil. Use any light tasting oil here, like olive oil (that's what I use), vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil.
- Table Salt. A big pinch of table salt is a must. The original recipe had no salt and you could certainly notice its absence! Don't skip the salt, please.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make an Easy Plum Yogurt Cake
I provided a bunch of photos so you can get a good visual representation of each step, but this is an incredibly simple and forgiving recipe. I tried to make it more complex or fancy (more on that later), but this quick and easy method works great.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Measure out ½ cup granulated sugar and scoop out 1 tablespoon and transfer that small amount to a bowl and add the larger amount to a large mixing bowl. Add the egg to the large mixing bowl and whisk.
- Continue whisking the sugar and egg together until the mixture is smooth and turns slightly pale, about 1-2 minutes. You can do this whole recipe in a stand mixer, with an electric hand mixer, or simply whisk by hand. Add the yogurt and continue mixing until smooth, another 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the baking soda and salt and whisk (yes, whisk it right into the yogurt mixture). Then add half the flour and whisk to combine.
- Add the remaining flour and whisk to combine. This batter will be quite thick. Switch to a rubber spatula to ensure no streaks of flour remain, if needed.
- Wash and dry the plums well, then cut in half and remove the pit. Cut into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick.
- Line an 8-inch round metal cake pan with cooking spray. For extra protection you can add a round piece of parchment to the bottom of the pan, or dust lightly with flour. However, this is not a particularly sticky cake so simply using cooking spray should work well.
- Add the yogurt cake batter to the prepared cake pan and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula or spoon.
- Add the plum slices on top of the cake batter in a decorative pattern. It's okay for the plums to overlap a bit. You should be able to fit 2 medium plums (about 8 ounces total).
- Finally, sprinkle with the reserved 1 tablespoon of sugar over the entire cake, ensuring the plums and exposed cake batter are lightly covered in sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Use an offset spatula to run along the edges of the pan to ensure the cake doesn't stick. Cool at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool at room temperature.
Hint: This cake is best served just slightly warm or even room temperature. Do not skip cooling this cake as it could fall apart if you dig into it too fast.
Adam's Pro Tip
To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or wooden skewer at a slight angle just off center. Avoid going through a plum as that could impact the toothpick. Little crumbs may stick to the toothpick when it's done. It needs longer if the toothpick comes out with wet batter.
Substitutions
This yogurt cake is incredibly simple and versatile. There are so many ways to tweak this basic recipe. Here are some suggested tweaks:
- Vanilla - You can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter, though interestingly my wife says her grandmother never used vanilla when making this cake.
- Lemon - Try adding a 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter for a lemony floral note.
- Dairy-Free Option - The only dairy in this cake is the Greek yogurt. You can swap in a plant-based yogurt if you want to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche - Technically swapping in sour cream or creme fraiche for the Greek yogurt would make this recipe no longer a yogurt cake, but both will work and no one has to know what you use!
- Fruit Swap - We have made this cake with fresh peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, apples, and blueberries. Any juicy fruit works great for this cake.
- Oil - Any light tasting oil or fat will do just fine. You can even use melted butter, though it will be a richer, more decadent cake. Melted coconut oil will provide similar results.
Popular European Yogurt Cake Styles
Yogurt cakes are popular in many European cuisines, especially Italian Torta allo Yogurt or French Gâteau au Yaourt. They are all quite similar and often measured in the yogurt container. They often have the addition of lemon zest and vanilla extract. All of them are quite similar to a pound cake, though opting for oil over butter, and the yogurt creates this incredibly moist, light, and airy texture. Our version comes from my wife's Polish grandmother, who may have adopted her recipe from any of these common yogurt cake variations.
Serving Recommendations
Plum yogurt cake is delicious on its own, but there are plenty of ways to enhance it. If you plan to serve this for dessert, try dusting lightly with powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is also perfect to serve alongside this fruity cake.
We actually like to enjoy this cake for brunch or even breakfast. When doing so, we serve it with some more yogurt, some fresh berries, and even some toasted nuts like sliced almonds.
Storage
This is a relatively small cake and surprisingly light. I mention that because you may have no leftovers. If you do, store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this cake.
More Great Fruit Desserts
If you love simple baking recipes, especially fruit desserts, try out some of my other recipes:
FAQ
Yogurt cakes have a pleasantly light and fluffy texture similar to a sponge cake.
Yes, both regular and Greek yogurt work well in this recipe. You can even use sour cream or creme fraiche. Avoid using any of these products if they are flavored.
Besides the traditional fruit topping of plums, you can use peaches, nectarines, apricots, blueberries, or even apples.
Technically, you can make a yogurt cake without any eggs. Our original version of this recipe from my wife's Polish grandmother used no eggs. However, it will have a drier, less tender texture.
The batter should be thick enough to hold thinly sliced fruit. If the fruit is sinking, try cutting your fruit into thinner slices.
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Recipe
Yogurt Plum Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
Description
This light and fruity Yogurt Plum Cake is one of the easiest yet most delicious cakes you'll ever make. Inspired by a traditional Polish yogurt cake passed down from my wife's grandmother, this simple and rustic dessert is tender and moist, with just the right touch of sweetness. It's the perfect cake for summer when plums are at their peak, but works beautifully with other seasonal fruits too.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (108 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt)
- ¼ cup light oil, such as olive or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- 1 cup (160 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 medium (226 grans/8-ounces total) ripe plums, red, black or Italian
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Liberally spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Add a round piece of parchment and spray again with cooking spray.
- Transfer 1 tablespoon of the sugar to a small bowl and add the remaining to a large mixing bowl or the base of stand mixer. Add the egg to the large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and slightly pale, 1-2 minutes, or use the paddle attachment to beat on medium until smooth and slightly pale, 1-2 minutes. Add the yogurt and whisk well to combine or beat another 1-2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in oil while continuing to whisk. Add the baking powder and table salt and whisk until incorporated.
- Add half the flour and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until no dry streaks remain (switch to a rubber spatula if the mixture gets too thick). Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or spoon.
- Cut plums in half and remove pit. Cut each half into slices about ¼-inch thick. Place the plums on top of the cake in a decorative design. It's okay if the plums overlap slightly. Sprinkle the entire cake with the reserved 1 tablespoon sugar, ensuring the plums and exposed batter are coated in sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 15 minutes then carefully remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve cake slightly warm or room temperature.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
- You can swap in sour cream or creme fraiche for the yogurt.
- While plums taste best, try using peaches, apricots, nectarines, blueberries, or even apples.
- You can add a teaspoon each of vanilla extract and lemon zest to make this more similar to French or Italian style yogurt cakes.
- You can easily double this recipe! Simply double all of the ingredients and bake in a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Check for doneness using a toothpick.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Polish/American
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