The fabulous aroma of cinnamon, tart plums and a delicately spiced moist sponge all contribute to one of our favourite autumn bakes – Cinnamon Scented Plum Cake with Spelt Flour! Spelt flour is not just for the diet-conscious (it is lower in calories and higher in iron), 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!
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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 slept 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 cake light and airy. With a higher protein content, spelt flour needs to be gently folded in the batter and baked straight away, stopping the gluten from developing further.
If you’re struggling to find spelt flour in your local supermarket, you can get it online. We tried and loved Shipton Mill and Doves Farm Spelt. Failing that, wholegrain wheat flour could be a good substitute for this cake.
The Benefits of Using Yoghurt in Baking
I love using yoghurt in my cakes and bakes for a variety of reasons. First of all, cakes made with yoghurt are definitely a lot moister and keep fresh for longer. Secondly, yoghurt 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.
What To Serve Plum Cake With?
There is more than one way to enjoy this Plum Cake! 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?!
- Vanilla ice cream will work brilliantly with freshly-out-of-the-oven cake.
Can You Freeze Plum Cake?
Yes. After it is fully cooled, slice the 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. Seal the wrapped cakes in a freezer bag or airtight box 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 the cake, 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.
Step-by-Step Recipe
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Generously grease a 24×24 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 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 them 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 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.
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.
Other Recipes With Spelt Flour
Have you made our Plum Cake with Spelt Flour? 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 lovely recipes below:
Recipe Card
Cinnamon-Scented Plum Cake with Spelt Flour
Ingredients
For the Plums:
- 300 g plums destoned
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
For the Cake Batter:
- 3 eggs large
- 125 g light brown sugar
- 200 g Greek yoghurt
- 130 ml vegetable oil
- 250 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
To Serve:
- Greek yoghurt or warm custard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C Fan. Generously grease a 24×24 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
What a perfect autumnal cake recipe! Love the spelt flour in it.
Thanks! We love pairing spelt with autumnal flavours! It really adds that the deep, slightly earthy flavour!
Plums go so well with cinnamon and this cake is so delicious and moist! Perfect for this time of year.
Thanks, Beth! Glad you liked it!