This easy recipe for gluten free plum cornmeal cake is a great way to use the fruit in season. This simple corn flour cake is topped with fresh plums and makes a moist cake to serve as dessert or with coffee for brunch.
I used plums from our yellow plum tree in the yard, but you should be able to find delicious plums at the grocery store or farmer's market. Purple plums work well too, and since sizes vary, you may need a few more or fewer depending on what you find.
I prefer cutting the plums in half and placing them cut side up on the batter, though slicing them into slivers works too. The plums will sink slightly into the cake as it bakes, and keeping them in halves helps the cake stay juicy when you slice it to serve.
You can find all of my cake recipes here: Gluten Free Cake Recipes
Not sure which gluten free flour to reach for? Check out my guide: Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 vs King Arthur Measure for Measure: Which Gluten Free Flour to Use and When
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Cake
- Ingredient Notes
- Tips for the Best Plum Cornmeal Cake
- How to Store and Freeze
- Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- Plum Cornmeal Cake Supplies
- More Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Gluten Free Plum Cornmeal Cake
- Plum Cornmeal Cake Ingredients
- Instructions
Why You'll Love This Cake
- Simple, one bowl batter
- Naturally showcases fresh plums in season
- Works for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
- Freezer friendly for later
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten free yellow cornmeal: use a finely ground cornmeal or corn flour rather than a coarse grind, since a finer texture gives the cake a more tender, less gritty crumb.
- Gluten free flour: a 1 to 1 gluten free blend like Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure works well here.
- Coconut oil: this keeps the cake dairy free friendly in the fat department while still giving it a moist, tender texture, but melted butter works well too if you prefer.
Tips for the Best Plum Cornmeal Cake
- A little lemon or orange zest added to the batter brightens up the flavor if you want to switch things up.
- Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar just before serving for a simple, pretty finish.
- Let the cake cool for the full 10 minutes before releasing the springform pan, so it doesn't fall apart while still warm.
How to Store and Freeze
Store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days, since the fresh plums make it more perishable than a typical cake.
To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Top Tip
Don't skip the 10 minute cooling time before releasing the springform pan. The cake needs those extra minutes to set up, or it can crack or fall apart when you take the sides off while it's still warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gluten free baking tends to require more moisture or oil than when you are using regular wheat flour. For this gluten free plum cornmeal cake recipe I added milk and coconut oil to make it moist and delicious.
If you are using a cake recipe that isn't turning out moist I would suggest adding a bit more oil or butter. You can also add mashed banana or applesauce to help your baked goods have more moisture.
Yes, gluten free baking in general takes a little bit longer to bake than a cake made with regular wheat flour. However, gluten free baked goods tend to brown faster. So you will want to test the cake with a tooth pick in the center to make sure it's actually done even if it looks browned.
Your cake should be a nice golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. You may need to bake your cake up to 5-8 minutes more. If your cake is already very brown, but not done in the center you will need to lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees and cook longer.
Yes. This same batter works well with other stone fruit like peaches, apricots, or nectarines if plums aren't in season.
A finely ground cornmeal or corn flour gives the best texture here. A coarser cornmeal will still work, but the cake will have a slightly grittier crumb.
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Gluten Free Plum Cornmeal Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This gluten free plum cornmeal cake is a simple, one bowl way to use fresh plums while they're in season. Topped with plum halves that sink slightly into the batter as it bakes, it's moist enough for dessert and light enough to serve with coffee for brunch.
Ingredients
- 7-8 medium Plums
- 1 cup Gluten Free Flour
- ½ cup Gluten Free Yellow Cornmeal
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil, melted
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil or butter and set aside.
In a bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat together the granulated sugar and eggs. Add the milk, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until they are combined.
Pour the cake batter into the greased 9-inch springform pan. Place the plum halves on top of the cake batter to cover the entire top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before releasing the outside of the pan.
Serve warm or cooled.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
If you make this gluten free plum cornmeal cake, I would love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and a star rating below, and snap a photo to tag me on Instagram @smallfarmbiglife. Looking for more ways to bake with seasonal fruit? Check out my other gluten free cake recipes for more inspiration.
Plum Cornmeal Cake Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil or butter and set aside.
In a bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat together the granulated sugar and eggs. Add the milk, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until they are combined.
Pour the cake batter into the greased 9-inch springform pan. Place the plum halves on top of the cake batter to cover the entire top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before releasing the outside of the pan.
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