Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (2024)

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4.97 from 33 votes

This delicious upside down plum cake is very easy to make with simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), gluten-free, oil-free, and much healthier than other recipes.

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (1)

Vegan Upside Down Plum Cake

How awesome are upside down cakes? I love them because they are fun to make, and they are quite healthy since they contain fruit. You can make them with kids and use your favorite fruit of choice.

I love this upside down plum cake because it is:

  1. Easy to make with simple ingredients.
  2. A great summer dessert which isn’t too heavy.
  3. Healthier than most other recipes.

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (2)Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (3)

How To Make The Best Upside Down Plum Cake?

  • Check the easy step-by-step photos below:
  • First, line the bottom of a cake pan or springform with parchment paper and preheat your oven.
  • Wash, deseed and slice the plums. Arrange them on the bottom of the springform/cake pan. Drizzle with a tablespoon of sugar and maple syrup.
  • Measure/weigh the dry ingredients and add them all to a big bowl. Stir with a whisk.
  • Mash the banana (or use applesauce) and combine it with the wet ingredients. You can also use a blender or food processor.
  • Whisk dry and wet ingredients together and pour the batter into the cake pan/springform.
  • Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, then allow to cool and peel off the parchment paper.
  • Enjoy warm or cold!

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (4)Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (5)

Simple Ingredients

This cake contains only simple ingredients that you most likely already have at home. The main ingredients are ground oats (oat flour) and ground nuts. You can use any nuts of choice, for example, ground almonds, hazelnuts, etc.

Shredded unsweetened coconut can be used instead of ground nuts. Please don’t use coconut flour. It won’t work in this recipe!

Please don’t substitute any regular flour (except almond flour) for the ground nuts. Since the recipe is oil-free, there needs to be a source of fat.

To make the cake grain-free, you could experiment with buckwheat flour or sorghum flour (instead of oat flour). I haven’t tried it myself but it should work. If you give it a try, please report back in the comments.

Any plant-based milk can be used in this recipe. I prefer to use canned coconut milk, however, almond milk, cashew milk, etc. should work fine as well. The higher the fat content of the milk, the better the cake will taste.

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (6)

How To Serve?

You can serve the cake with dairy-free ice cream or whipped coconut cream. Another option would be to drizzle a vegan caramel sauce on top.

Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (7)

Versatile Upside Down Plum Cake

I love how versatile this upside-down cake is. You can use other fruits instead of plums. Some examples would be:

  • Pineapple, to make an upside down pineapple cake. Or what about:
  • Apple
  • Strawberry
  • Peach
  • Banana
  • Pear
  • Cherry
  • Blueberry
  • Orange
  • Or lemon

Apricots are awesome as well, especially since they are in season now. I am actually looking forward to making an upside down mandarin cake in the wintertime.

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (8)

This Upside Down Plum Cake Is:

  • Egg-free,
  • Dairy-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Oil-free
  • Low-fat
  • Moist
  • Fruity
  • Perfect for summer or a birthday
  • Versatile

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (9)

Should you recreate this delicious plum cake, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! If you love vegan cakes, definitely also check out the following recipes:

  • Coconut Cake
  • Lava Cake
  • Zucchini Chocolate Cake
  • No-Bake Carrot Cake
  • Fruity Cheesecake
  • Baked Cheesecake

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (11)

Upside Down Plum Cake

Author: Michaela Vais

This delicious upside down plum cake is very easy to make with simple ingredients which you probably already have at home. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), gluten-free, oil-free, and much healthier than other recipes.

4.97 from 33 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 177 kcal

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups (150 g) oat flour (gluten-free if needed - see notes)
  • 3/4 heaped cup (100 g) ground nuts of choice (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sweetener of choice (see notes)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
  • 1/3 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

Topping:

  • 3-4 plums sliced (see notes)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

  • I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe.

  • Preheat oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform or cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides of the springform.

  • Wash, deseed and slice the plums. Arrange them in an overlapping layer on the bottom of the springform/pan. Drizzle with maple syrup and sugar. Set aside.

  • For the cake, combine all dry ingredients in a big bowl. Stir with a whisk until there are no lumps.

  • Whisk together wet ingredients in a different bowl.

  • Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a whisk. Spoon the batter into the cake pan/springform and spread it out evenly.

  • Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  • Allow the cake to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before inverting the cake on a platter. Carefully peel off the parchment paper.

  • Cool for 10 more minutes, then slice and enjoy! The cake can be served with vegan whipped cream or ice cream!

Notes

  • Oat flour: To make your own oat flour, simply process oats (regular or gluten-free) in a blender or electric coffee/spice grinder. You can try using buckwheat flour for a grain-free version. Also, regular flour or spelt flour (for a non-gluten-free version) could work well in this recipe (I haven't tried it myself though).
  • Shredded unsweetened coconut can be used instead of ground nuts. Please don't use coconut flour. It won't work in this recipe! Please don't substitute any regular flour (except almond flour) for the ground nuts. Since the recipe is oil-free, there needs to be a source of fat.
  • Granulated sweetener: You can use regular sugar, cane sugar, Erythritol, Xylitol (birch sugar), coconut sugar, etc.
  • Any plant-based milk can be used in this recipe. I prefer to use canned coconut milk, however, almond milk, cashew milk, etc. should work fine as well. The higher the fat content of the milk, the better the cake will taste.
  • Feel free to use your favorite fruit instead of plums. Some examples are apricots, oranges, mandarines, pineapple!
  • You can also check out my Plum And Apple Crumble Recipe.
  • The recipe serves 10. Nutrition facts are for one serving.

Nutrition Facts

Upside Down Plum Cake

Amount per Serving

Calories

177

% Daily Value*

Fat

6.3

g

10

%

Carbohydrates

25

g

8

%

Fiber

3.1

g

12

%

Sugar

15

g

17

%

Protein

4.4

g

9

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically

Equipment

Kitchen scale*

8-inch springform*

Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (12) Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!

If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:

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Upside Down Plum Cake | Vegan, Oil-Free Recipe - Elavegan (2024)

FAQs

How do you soak fruits for plum cake without alcohol? ›

FOR GRAPE JUICE SOAK (NON ALCOHOLIC CAKE)

Make Homemade Grape Juice which pairs beautifully with the essence of a Plum Cake. Heat Water and Sugar till the sugar dissolves completely. Wash and Dry the Grapes properly. Add them to the Sugar Syrup.

What is plum cake made of? ›

Plum cake refers to a wide range of cakes usually made with dried fruits such as currants, raisins, sultanas, or prunes, and also sometimes with fresh fruits. There is a wide range of popular plum cakes and puddings.

What can I soak fruit in instead of alcohol? ›

For non-alcoholic version, use fresh squeezed orange juice. It is a must to soak the fruits only a week in advance when using non-alcoholic beverage like orange juice and store it in an airtight glass jar in fridge. Alternatively, you can follow the instant version of making soaked fruit too.

What is the best liquid to soak dried fruit in? ›

Put your dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer. To give your fruit some extra flavor, swap the water for fruit juice or a liquor, like rum, bourbon, or brandy.

Why do Christians eat plum cake? ›

According to custom, on the eve of Christmas, a rich porridge was cooked and eaten to “line the stomach” for the upcoming feast. The porridge, said to have been made with oats, dried fruits, spices, honey, and sometimes even meat, can be called the grandfather of the Christmas — or plum cake.

What is plum cake called in USA? ›

The term "plum cake" and "fruit cake" have become interchangeable. Since dried fruit is used as a sweetening agent and any dried fruit used to be described as "plums", many plum cakes and plum puddings do not contain the plum fruit now known by that name.

Why is plum cake so expensive? ›

Plum cake is generally costlier since it has loads of nuts n berries. Moreover it tastes good in butter and for the rich color brown sugar is added in it rather than normal sugar. Moreover for Alcoholic version it uses Alcohol for soaking , so all these things make them costly.

What can I soak my Christmas cake fruit in? ›

This includes options like rum, brandy, whisky, and port wine. These types of alcohol will help to keep the fruit cake moist and also add some extra flavor to the cake. You can also soak the fruit in orange juice, apple juice, or any other type of fruit juice.

How do you moisten a dry fruit cake without alcohol? ›

Fruitcake is best when it's moist and not dry. To retain the cake's moisture, brush the top of the cake top with the strained juice or orange juice. After that, cover the cake tightly with cling wrap and store it at room temperature. The longer it sits, the better the cake will be.

How do you feed fruit cake without alcohol? ›

Instead of feeding it with alcohol, it can be fed with either fruit juice such as orange or, cold tea. This is optional and not necessary as the cake will naturally mature as the fruit begins to break down and moisten the cake over a period of time.

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