Dairy-Free Buttermilk Plum Cake: Your New Favorite One-Bowl Fall Dessert

Get ready to discover your new favorite fall dessert! This Buttermilk Plum Cake is a true delight, offering a perfect blend of soft, tender crumb with a delicate hint of warming cinnamon and ginger. What makes it truly special are the juicy, ripe plums nestled within and on top, all brought together with wholesome spelt flour and a wonderfully tangy dairy-free buttermilk. The best part? This incredibly flavorful cake comes together in just one bowl, requiring only about 10 minutes of active prep time. It’s the ultimate hassle-free baking project for anyone craving a comforting treat without the dairy.

After a delightful series of pumpkin-inspired creations on the blog, I felt it was time to introduce a vibrant burst of color and flavor. This super easy and incredibly delicious Buttermilk Plum Cake perfectly fits the bill! I adapted this fantastic recipe from a classic in Clean Eating Magazine, making a few simple yet effective swaps to ensure it’s completely dairy-free. With its cozy warming spices and the sweet tartness of ripe plums, it truly captures the essence of autumn. Imagine a slice of this tender cake, perfectly paired with a hot mug of tea – pure bliss on a cool fall afternoon.

So, go ahead and put the kettle on! I’ll quickly guide you through the effortless process of making this delightful dessert. You’ll be surprised how simple it is to achieve such a sophisticated flavor profile.

Crafting Dairy-Free Buttermilk for Your Plum Cake

The original recipe for this plum cake, as featured in Clean Eating magazine, called for traditional buttermilk. However, to make this dessert accessible for everyone and dairy-free, I opted for a simple, homemade vegan buttermilk alternative. This easy substitute works wonders, providing the same essential tang and tenderizing qualities that buttermilk is known for, without any dairy products.

Making vegan buttermilk is incredibly straightforward and takes mere minutes. Here’s how it works: For every one cup of buttermilk specified in a recipe, you simply need to add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) to the bottom of a one-cup measuring cup. If you don’t have ACV on hand, fresh lemon juice works just as effectively. Then, fill the rest of the cup with your preferred dairy-free milk – unsweetened almond milk is my go-to choice, but oat milk or soy milk also work well. Let this mixture sit undisturbed for about five minutes. During this time, you’ll observe the acid from the vinegar beginning to curdle the plant-based milk, creating a texture and acidity very similar to traditional buttermilk. Once it’s visibly curdled, your homemade dairy-free buttermilk is ready to be used in your cake recipe, contributing to a wonderfully moist and tender crumb.

Essential Ingredients for Your Dairy-Free Buttermilk Plum Cake

This recipe uses a blend of wholesome and accessible ingredients to create a truly delicious and satisfying cake. Each component plays a vital role in achieving the perfect texture, flavor, and overall autumnal experience. Here’s what you’ll need to gather for this easy buttermilk plum cake:

• Fresh Plums (or Plumcots): These are the star! They lend a beautiful tartness and become jammy when baked.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk: The base for our homemade dairy-free buttermilk.
• Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) or Lemon Juice: The acidic agent that curdles the almond milk to create vegan buttermilk.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Provides moisture and a delicate flavor, keeping the cake tender.
• Almond Extract: Enhances the nutty notes and complements the plums beautifully.
• Egg: Acts as a binder and contributes to the cake’s structure and richness (can be substituted with a flax egg for a fully vegan option, though it might alter texture slightly).
• Spelt Flour: A great alternative to all-purpose flour, offering a slightly nutty flavor and a tender crumb.
• Cane Sugar: Used both in the batter and sprinkled on top for a delightful crunchy crust.
• Ground Cinnamon and Ginger: These warming spices are essential for that cozy, autumnal flavor profile.
• Baking Powder and Salt: Leavening agents that ensure a light and airy texture, balanced with a touch of salt to bring out all the flavors.

Baking This Simple Plum Cake: A True One-Bowl Wonder!

One of the most appealing aspects of this buttermilk plum cake recipe is its incredible simplicity. Designed as a “one-bowl” dessert, it minimizes cleanup and maximizes convenience, making it perfect for busy weekdays or relaxed weekend baking. Follow these easy steps to bring this delicious cake to life:

• Prepare Your Pan and Oven: First, pre-heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with cooking spray or butter. Don’t worry if you don’t have a tart pan; a regular 9-inch cake pan or a springform pan will also work beautifully, though you might need to adjust the baking time slightly.
• Whip Up Your Dairy-Free Buttermilk: In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Fill the rest of the cup with unsweetened almond milk until it reaches the 1 1/2 cup line. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit for about five minutes. You’ll notice it starts to curdle, which is exactly what we want for that characteristic buttermilk tang and tender texture.
• Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl – this is your “one bowl” for everything! – add the prepared ACV/almond milk mixture. To this, incorporate the extra virgin olive oil, almond extract, and the room-temperature egg. Whisk these wet ingredients together thoroughly until they are well combined and smooth.
• Add Dry Ingredients to the Same Bowl: Now, it’s time for the dry components. Directly into the same bowl, add your spelt flour, 1/2 cup of cane sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. If your flour or baking powder tends to be lumpy, a quick sift will ensure a smoother batter, though it’s often not strictly necessary. Whisk everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; overmixing can develop the gluten too much, leading to a tougher cake. A few small lumps are perfectly fine!
• Arrange Plums and Bake: Take your fresh plums and slice each one into eight wedges, leaving the skin on for beautiful color and added nutrients. Carefully arrange these plum wedges on top of the cake batter in your prepared pan. They might sink into the batter a bit during baking, and that’s perfectly normal and expected, creating pockets of juicy fruit within the cake. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of cane sugar evenly over the plums – this creates a lovely, slightly caramelized, crunchy topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool and Serve: Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to remove it from the tart pan and slicing. This ensures the cake sets properly and is easier to handle. While this cake is absolutely divine served fresh and warm, you can store any leftovers.

Storing Your Buttermilk Plum Cake and Freezing Options

This delightful buttermilk plum cake, with its fresh fruit and tender crumb, is truly at its best when served on the day it’s made. The plums will be perfectly jammy and the cake incredibly moist. However, if you find yourself with irresistible leftovers, proper storage will help maintain its deliciousness for a few days.

To store, place any remaining slices in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator. This cake has a relatively high moisture content due to the fresh fruit, making refrigeration the best option to prevent spoilage and maintain freshness. Enjoy your refrigerated cake within 2-3 days for optimal taste and texture. Due to the fresh fruit content, I don’t recommend storing this cake at room temperature for extended periods.

I did experiment by freezing a few slices to see how the cake’s texture would fare after thawing at room temperature. While the cake itself retained an acceptable texture, the plums unfortunately lost their wonderfully jammy quality, becoming a bit softer and less vibrant. So, while you *can* freeze this cake in a pinch if absolutely necessary, I generally wouldn’t recommend it if you’re aiming for the optimal fresh-baked experience. It’s truly a cake best enjoyed fresh or within a couple of days from the fridge.

Helpful Tips and Easy Substitutions for Your Buttermilk Plum Cake

This recipe is quite forgiving and adaptable, allowing you to tailor it to your pantry and preferences. Here are some useful tips and substitution ideas to make your buttermilk plum cake perfect every time:

• Flour Alternatives: The recipe calls for spelt flour, which imparts a lovely nutty flavor and a tender texture. If you don’t have spelt flour on hand, you can certainly use whole wheat flour as a direct substitute. Just keep in mind that using whole wheat flour will result in a slightly denser cake due to its higher protein content and different gluten structure. For a lighter, less dense option, an all-purpose flour could also be used, though it might change the flavor profile slightly.
• Sugar Choices: Cane sugar is specified for this recipe, both in the batter and as a sprinkle on top. However, you have other excellent options! Coconut sugar can be used as a 1:1 substitute in the batter for a slightly richer, more caramel-like flavor. Granulated sugar will also work perfectly fine, providing a classic sweetness. When it comes to the sugar sprinkled on top, a coarser sugar, such as cane sugar or turbinado sugar, works best. The larger crystals don’t melt as quickly and create a beautiful, sparkly, and slightly crunchy crust that adds a wonderful textural contrast to the soft cake.
• Fruit Varieties: I used plumcots in this particular recipe, which are a delightful hybrid of plums and apricots, offering a unique sweet-tart flavor. The beauty of this cake is its versatility with stone fruits! Feel free to use regular plums (red, black, or even yellow varieties work well), apricots, pluots, or apriums. Any of these will contribute a similar juiciness and flavor profile that bakes beautifully into the cake. If you’re curious about the subtle differences between these fascinating fruit hybrids, you can check out this brief article for more information.
• Pan Options: While a 10-inch tart pan creates a stunning presentation with its fluted edges, this cake is flexible. You can easily bake it in a 9-inch springform pan, a standard round cake pan, or even a cast-iron skillet for a rustic touch. When using a different size or type of pan, remember to adjust the baking time slightly. Smaller pans might require a bit longer, while larger, shallower pans might bake more quickly. Always use the toothpick test to ensure doneness.
• Dairy-Free Milk Options: While unsweetened almond milk is my preferred choice for making dairy-free buttermilk due to its neutral flavor, feel free to experiment with other plant-based milks. Oat milk, soy milk, or even cashew milk can be used, keeping in mind that the flavor profile of the buttermilk (and thus the cake) might vary slightly. Always ensure it’s unsweetened to control the sugar content of your cake.

Explore More Dairy-Free Dessert Delights

If you’re loving this dairy-free plum cake and are eager to discover more delicious treats that skip the dairy, you’re in luck! Crumb Top Baking offers a fantastic selection of plant-based desserts that are just as flavorful and satisfying. Here are a few more recipes you might enjoy:

• Chai Spice Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting: This delightful snack cake boasts a wonderfully spongy texture, infused with aromatic warm chai spices and topped with a light, citrusy coconut whip that’s simply irresistible.
• Vegan Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes: Transport yourself to a tropical paradise with these moist and flavorful cupcakes, made with fresh pineapple chunks and shredded coconut, then crowned with a perfectly sweetened coconut whip.
• Dairy-Free Frozen Peach Cream Pie: A refreshing and creamy indulgence, this pie features a luscious peach and banana filling set atop a delightful grain-free almond crust, perfect for warmer days or as a light dessert.

Don’t forget to Pin this Buttermilk Plum Cake recipe for later baking inspiration!

If you give this delightful Dairy-Free Buttermilk Plum Cake a try, I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts! Please share your experience and feedback in the comments section below. Your insights and reviews help other bakers and inspire new recipes!

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