Moist Gluten-Free Plum and Almond Cake Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Plum Cake

• Effortless to make. The only slightly technical step is browning the butter — otherwise this is a straightforward mix-and-bake cake that doesn’t need any fancy finishing.
• Rich, toasty flavour. Browned butter brings a nutty, caramel-like note that complements the tang of sour cream and the sweet-tart plums.
• Moist, tender texture. A combination of almond flour, brown sugar and sour cream keeps the crumb soft and satisfying.
• Simple gluten-free approach. Use your preferred all-purpose gluten-free flour blend together with almond flour; no xanthan gum is required.
• No special equipment. You only need basic bowls, a whisk and a saucepan for the brown butter.

Ingredients Needed

Fresh plums: Use ripe-but-firm plums for the best texture; very juicy fruit can make the cake soggy.

Almond flour: Blanched ground almonds work best; in some regions this is labelled as ground almonds.

Gluten-free all-purpose flour: Any plain gluten-free blend will do. If your blend contains xanthan gum, that’s fine; otherwise no additional binder is needed.

Unsalted butter: We use unsalted so you can control seasoning; it’s browned for flavour.

Sugars: A mix of caster (or fine granulated) sugar and light brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture and a gentle caramel note.

Eggs and sour cream: Eggs provide structure while sour cream keeps the cake moist and adds a subtle tang that helps lift the flavour.

Leavening and seasoning: Baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt are used to ensure a balanced rise and flavour.

Topping: Halved plums, a drizzle of honey and flaked almonds give texture and a pretty finish. A light dusting of icing sugar is optional after cooling.

How To Make Gluten-Free Plum Cake

Summary: halve the plums, brown the butter, mix wet and dry ingredients separately, combine, top with plums and bake.

Prepare the plums

Wash, halve and remove the stones from the plums. If a stone is stubborn, a small paring knife helps release it.

Preheat the oven and prepare the tin

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F / gas mark 4. Line and grease an 8-inch (20cm) square baking tin.

Make the brown butter

Melt the butter in a light-coloured saucepan over medium heat. When it hisses and the foam subsides, watch for small brown flecks and a toasty aroma. Remove from the heat as soon as it begins to brown to prevent burning. Keep the brown bits in the butter — they add flavour.

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until well combined so the leavening is distributed evenly.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate bowl combine the caster and brown sugar, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the cooled brown butter until the mixture is smooth.

Assemble and bake

Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared tin, arrange the plum halves cut-side up, drizzle with honey and sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar, if desired.

Expert Tips

Choose plums that are ripe but not overly juicy to avoid a wet cake. Firmer fruit holds up well in the bake and gives pleasant jammy pockets without collapsing the structure.

Use a light saucepan to brown butter so you can easily see the colour change. Listen for the hissing to subside and look for brown specks. Remove from the heat immediately to avoid burning — those specks add lovely flavour, so don’t strain them out.

FAQs

More Gluten-Free Fresh Fruit Recipes You’ll Love

• Nectarine and Plum Cobbler
• Gluten-Free Apple Blackberry Crumble
• Raspberry Pistachio Cake
• Bramley Apple Fruit Cake
• Pear Almond Cake

Moist Gluten-Free Plum and Almond Cake

Author: Georgina Hartley

This cake uses brown butter and sour cream to create a moist, tender crumb with sweet pockets of plum and a nutty finish from almond flour.

Ingredients

• 175 g unsalted butter
• 175 g gluten-free flour
• 175 g almond flour (ground almonds)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100 g caster sugar
• 100 g soft light brown sugar
• 150 ml sour cream
• 3 eggs (medium)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 plums, halved and stones removed (about 400–450 g)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 30 g flaked almonds
• 2 tsp icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F. Line and grease an 8-inch (20cm) square tin.
2. Melt and brown the butter in a light saucepan over medium heat. Watch for brown flecks and a toasty aroma, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, whisk the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until combined.
4. In a separate large bowl, combine the caster and brown sugar, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the cooled brown butter until smooth.
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
6. Arrange the plum halves on top, cut-side up. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
7. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean. Let the cake rest for a few minutes in the tin, then transfer to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar if you like.

Notes

Eggs: This recipe uses medium eggs; if you only have a different size, weigh to match volume for best results.

Almond flour: Use blanched, finely ground almonds for a light texture.

Gluten-free flour: The recipe works with most plain gluten-free blends. No additional xanthan gum is necessary.

Storage: Keep in an airtight tin for up to three days. For longer storage, freeze tightly wrapped for up to three months.

Nutrition (approx per serving)

Calories: 285 kcal • Carbohydrates: 28 g • Protein: 5 g • Fat: 18 g • Saturated fat: 7 g • Sugar: 18 g