Plum and Almond Loaf Cake

How to Prepare Plum and Almond Loaf Cake – Step-by-Step Directions

Detailed, straightforward directions and ingredient amounts are found in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

Step One

Warm the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted) and grease or line a 900g loaf pan. I grease and place a strip of reusable baking parchment.

Step Two

Beat the margarine and caster sugar until creamy. I employ an electric hand whisk, which takes about a minute or two.

Step Three

Incorporate the eggs and almond extract, then whisk. You may add them one at a time, but I combine them all at once.

Step Four

Add the flour, ground almonds, and baking powder.

Step Five

Whisk until uniform. It won’t appear smooth as the ground almonds add a slight texture. No need to be concerned.

Step Six

Gently mix in most of the plums, leaving about a handful aside.

Step Seven

Transfer to the loaf pan and distribute evenly.

Step Eight

Sprinkle the remaining plums on top. The plums will settle a bit, so placing some on the surface instead of mixing them in ensures they’ll remain higher in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.

Step Nine

Bake for 1 – 1 hour and 15 minutes, inserting a skewer to check that the center is fully cooked before taking it out of the oven.

I suggest checking after one hour.

If at any moment the top appears to darken, carefully cover it loosely with foil.

Step Ten

Spread the jam over the still-warm cake and sprinkle the flaked almonds to finish.

I’ve noticed some recipes heat the jam, but it will warm as soon as it contacts the still-hot cake, making it easy to spread. I use a silicone spatula.

You can strain if you prefer, but I don’t mind a bit of texture.

If you’d like your almonds to be slightly toasted, lightly roast them on a tray in the oven before adding them on top.

Step Eleven

Allow it to cool in the pan completely before gently transferring to a wire rack.