The fabulous aroma of cinnamon, tart plums and a delicately spiced moist sponge all contribute to one of our favourite autumn bakes - Yogurt Plum Cake with Spelt Flour! Spelt flour is not just for the diet-conscious, it is for the tastebuds too! With a mild sweetness and hits of nuttiness, spelt is a wonderful type of flour to pair with autumnal fruit during the plum season!
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Fancy other deliciously moist cakes with a little bit of a difference? Try our Courgette Lime Cake recipe and Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
And if you have plenty of plums, you must try our favourite - Plum Frangipane Tart! For sourdough bakers, we have a delicious Sourdough Discard Plum Cake to try!
What is Spelt Flour All About? What to Substitute It With?
Spelt, often referred to as an ancient grain, has been around since Roman times. Not surprisingly, spelt flour is lighter, but has strong protein structures and makes bakes with a wonderful nutty flavour. Spelt flour also has many claimed health benefits.
There are generally two types of spelt flour, white and wholemeal (wholegrain). We love the wholegrain variety as it adds all that nutty flavour and a tiny bit of texture to the bakes. Since spelt flour typically has higher gluten content, it lends itself perfectly to bread making too.
One thing to remember is that, if you're using spelt flour in cake batter, DO NOT overmix it. Mixing helps gluten develop, and you want your plum yogurt cake light and airy.
If you're struggling to find spelt flour in your local supermarket, you can get spelt flour online. We tried and loved Shipton Mill and Doves Farm Spelt. Failing that, whole wheat flour could be a good substitute for this cake.
The Benefits of Using Yoghurt in Baking
I love using yogurt in my cakes and bakes for a variety of reasons. First of all, cakes made with Greek yogurt are definitely a lot moister and keep fresh for longer. Secondly, plain yogurt gives cakes a slightly tangy flavour - it's just a hint that you probably wouldn't know is there, but you'd notice if it was missing...
What is more, the acidity in yoghurt helps activate the bicarbonate of soda (which is also typically one of the ingredients in baking powder), which in turn makes sure your cake is light and fluffy.
You may also use sour cream for a similar effect, as we do in our extra Moist Grapefruit Cake With Olive Oil or Blackcurrant Cake!
Reader Review
"This is by far the best spelt cake recipe I've ever come across. I made it today for my family and they absolutely loved it. They said it was 10/10."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredient Notes
Eight basic ingredients are required for this easy yogurt plum cake recipe:
- fresh plums: a variety of plums can be used: red plums, black plums, Damson plums - you choose, but make sure they're ripe. You may use other stone fruit in this cake too.
- light brown sugar: or dark brown sugar.
- cinnamon: you may also flavour your cake batter with vanilla extract, almond extract or lemon zest.
- eggs: large in the UK, extra large in the US.
- Greek yogurt: unsweetened, full fat yogurt It can be replaced with sour cream or creme fraiche.
- vegetable oil: or other neutral oil, like rapeseed or avocado oil. Mild olive oil will work too.
- wholemeal spelt flour.
- baking powder.
Find the quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional values in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Generously grease a 24x24 cm baking tray/ ovenproof dish and dust it with flour. If you are not using a non-stick dish, line the dish with baking parchment paper and brush it with a little bit of oil. If you are using a springform pan, make sure it doesn't leak!
2. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones, then cut each half lengthways, so you have four rounds per plum. Cutting plums into 4 thinner slices will ensure the sweet plums soften enough as they cook. If you are using small, very ripe plums, you may get away with using halves.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the plum slices with cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside whilst you prepare the cake batter.
4. In a large bowl, place your eggs and light brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, whisk for approx 2 minutes, until the egg mixture doubles in size and looks pale and creamy.
5. Add the yoghurt and oil and beat for another minute.
6. In a bowl, mix the spelt flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them in, trying not to knock all the air out of the sponge.
7. Pour the batter into a prepared ovenproof dish and level the top with a rubber spatula.
8. Dip the bottom of each plum into flour and then place on top of the cake batter. The floured bottoms will prevent the plums from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
9. Once all the sliced plums are arranged on top, bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes until fully cooked through and golden brown. Adjust timings if you're using a large tray/ dish, as thinner cakes will bake quicker.
What To Serve Plum Cake With?
There is more than one way to enjoy this Plum Cake! Cut into small pieces and serve it for your afternoon tea! Since it's made with spelt flour, it is lower in calories, so you can allow yourself a little extra, right? We personally like this cake still warm with one of the following:
- a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
- a generous helping of warm custard.
- did somebody say pouring cream?!
- a scoop of vanilla ice cream will work brilliantly with freshly-out-of-the-oven
Storage
This beautiful cake will stay fresh for a couple of days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
Can You Freeze Plum Cake?
Yes. After it is fully cooled, slice this easy plum cake into portions, add a small piece of baking parchment on top of each piece (to prevent the plums from sticking) and then wrap the portions individually in foil or plastic wrap. Seal the wrapped cakes in a freezer bag or airtight box for best results and place them in the freezer for up to 4 months (you may be able to keep it there for longer, but we simply haven't tested it for longer periods of time).
When you want to eat this delicious cake again, unwrap it from the foil and leave it to thaw at room temperature for approx 30 minutes. The cake will be slightly dryer than freshly made, but if you're serving it with lots of custard, it should not be a problem. If you wish to serve it warm, after thawing, lightly spray the sides of the cake with water using an atomiser, and place in a preheated oven (160°C Fan) for approx 4-5 minutes.
Other Recipes With Spelt Flour
Have you made our Plum Cake with Spelt Flour? Give us a 5-star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments below! We would also love to see some photos. Tag us on your social media posts using #somebodyfeedseb.
And if you have some spelt flour left, why not make one of the delicious recipes below:
Yogurt Plum Cake with Spelt Flour
Ingredients
For the Plums:
- 300 g (0.66 lb) plums destoned
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Cake Batter:
- 3 eggs large
- 125 g (½ cups + 1 tbsp) light brown sugar
- 200 g (1 cups) Greek yoghurt
- 130 ml (½ cups + 1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 250 g (2 cups) wholemeal spelt flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
To Serve:
- Greek yoghurt or warm custard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Generously grease a 24x24 cm ovenproof dish and dust it with flour. If you are not using a non-stick dish, line the dish with baking parchment and brush it with a little bit of oil.
- Cut the plums in half and remove the stones, then cut each half lengthways, so you have four rounds per plum. Cutting plums into 4 thinner slices will ensure the plums soften enough as they cook. If you are using small, very ripe plums, you may get away with using halves.
- In a large bowl, mix the plums with cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside whilst you prepare the cake batter.
- In a large bowl, place your eggs and light brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, whisk for approx 2 minutes, until the egg mixture doubles in size and looks pale and creamy.
- Add the yoghurt and oil and beat for another minute.
- In a bowl, mix the spelt flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold in, trying not to knock all the air out of the sponge.
- Pour the batter into a prepared ovenproof dish and level the top with a spatula.
- Dip the bottom of each plum into fluor and then place on top of the cake batter. The floured bottoms will prevent the plums from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Once all the plums are arranged on top, bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Adjust timings if you're using a large tray/ dish, as thinner cakes will bake quicker.
- Serve slightly warm with Greek yoghurt or custard!
Nutrition
Katherine says
What a perfect autumnal cake recipe! Love the spelt flour in it.
Ieva Greber says
Thanks! We love pairing spelt with autumnal flavours! It really adds that the deep, slightly earthy flavour!
Beth says
Plums go so well with cinnamon and this cake is so delicious and moist! Perfect for this time of year.
Ieva says
Thanks, Beth! Glad you liked it!
Natalie says
This plum cake is simply divine, so moist, and delicious. The fact that it is lowe in sugar makes it great for my kids, thanks!
Mahy says
Fantastic plum cake - it looks exactly how I like it, and that taste incredible!
Ieva says
Thanks Mahy! 💗
kushigalu says
I wish I could grab a slice of this cake right away. So delicious
Nageen says
This is by far the best spelt cake recipe I've ever come across. I made it today for my family and they absolutely loved it. They said it was 10/10.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Ieva says
Thank you for taking the time to leave such kind feedback! It made my day! So glad your family enjoyed it 🙂
Anonymous says
Halved the amounts into two small round tins and used less sugar, delicious. Thank you!
Ieva Greber says
Thanks for the update, and nice bit of adapting with the tins and sugar. Glad it still turned out delicious!