Glazed Plum Bundt Cake

Late summer plums (the dark, tart-skinned kind) are what this cake is built for. Three cups of pitted, chopped fresh plums get folded into a tender batter along with chopped walnuts, creating juicy fruit pockets that almost jam-up during baking.

The crumb is unusually moist thanks to the heavy use of oil. Most pound-style bundt cakes lean on butter alone, but a full half cup of canola oil here keeps the cake tender for days. The four egg whites lighten things up so it doesn’t tip into pound-cake density despite the rich fruit load.

Buttermilk is a small but important ingredient. The acid reacts with the baking soda to give lift, and that tang balances the sweet plums and brown sugar glaze beautifully.

The glaze itself is brilliantly simple: brown sugar, oil, and skim milk warmed together until smooth. Spoon it over the cooled inverted cake so it drips down the ridges of the bundt pan, hardening into a thin caramel coat.

Pro Tips

• Cool the cake completely before glazing or the glaze will absorb instead of sit on top.
• Use slightly underripe plums. Overripe fruit collapses into wet streaks; firm plums hold their shape and stay juicy.
• Toss the chopped plums in a tablespoon of flour before folding in to help them stay distributed instead of sinking.
• Grease the bundt pan thoroughly. Flour every nook with a small dusting brush. Stuck cakes are heartbreaking.

Variations

• Use a mix of plum varieties (Italian prune plums, Santa Rosas, mirabelles) for more complex flavor.
• Swap walnuts for pecans or almonds, and add a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter.
• Add the zest of a lemon or orange to brighten the plum flavor and cut some of the sweetness.