Italian Yogurt Plum Cake (Torta di Susine)

This Italian Yogurt Plum Cake made in one bowl is flavourful, satisfying, and simple to make. Made with yogurt and olive oil, the sponge is moist and flavourful. Baked with a layer of seasonal plums, this simple cake celebrates stone fruit season. It's perfect for family gatherings and as an afternoon snack.

When summer days are hot and warm, I am all about baking simple, flavour-packed cakes that use seasonal fruits. This delicious, Mediterranean cake is my go-to, family-favourite dessert. It makes the most wonderful cake to bring along to a picnic, enjoy in the afternoon or even for breakfast like the Italians!

The end of Summer/early fall plums are at their prime and look beautiful fanned out on top of this delightful cake. It's an absolute winner, and I hope you love it as much as we do! If you are a fan of baking with stone fruit, try out my Plum Frangipane Tart, Peach Crumble Bars, and French Peach Clafoutis for inspiration.

🧾 Ingredients Needed

The ingredients used in this cake are everyday fridge and pantry ingredients that you'll most likely have on hand. Where possible, I provide alternatives for you to remain flexible when making this cake.

• Eggs - provide structure and, more importantly, moisture to the sponge. Make sure to whip them for the required time. Use room-temperature eggs so that they mix into the batter without curdling.
• Oil - Use a mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil rather than a peppery flavoured one which will overpower the taste. The taste of olive oil is there but subtly in the background. Use regular olive oil if you want a more indistinct taste. Substitute with neutral-tasting vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil for a milder taste to the sponge.
• Lemon and vanilla extract - Both these ingredients flavour the yogurt cake. The lemon zest adds a beautiful, subtle citrus flavouring but can be left out. The vanilla extract is a must to add a lovely depth of flavour to the sponge. Vanilla bean paste or the seeds of a vanilla pod can be used as substitutes.
• Plums - In season, you can use small Italian plums or any regular red, yellow, or black-skinned variety available. Damson plums can also be used but bare in mind that they are a little tarter in taste.

🐄What Does Yogurt Do In This Plum Yogurt Cake?

Yogurt is a fantastic ingredient to use in your baking. Don't keep it just for your morning granola! Your future bakes will thank you.

The fat content in the yogurt enhances the texture but also the flavour of your sponge. It also adds moisture, meaning that this cake will last for days.

The acidity helps aerate the sponge creating a tender, light, and fluffy sponge. It acts similarly to buttermilk and produces a very slight tang to the overall taste, which balances out the sweetness of this cake perfectly. Substitute with sour cream or creme fraîche.

My French Yogurt Cake and Earl Grey Tea Cake are both made with a combination of yogurt and oil, and the texture achieved by these two ingredients is unparalleled. I always get compliments regarding the taste and texture, and I wholeheartedly attribute this to those two main ingredients and their impact.

STEP 3. Whip the eggs, lemon sugar and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, using a whisk, whip the eggs and lemon sugar until they turn light, pale and aerated. If doing this by hand, don't whisk for less than a minute. We want lots of air in the mixture! This is your arm workout for the day! (Images 4 & 5)

STEP 4. Mix in yogurt and oil. Add the yogurt and the oil into the mixing bowl and whisk until just combined (Images 6 & 7).

STEP 5. Sift in dry ingredients. We're keeping it simple and sifting the dry ingredients directly into our mixing bowl (less washing up). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt through a fine-mesh sieve onto the whisked eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold through the wet mixture (Images 8 & 9). 

There will be small lumps in the batter- this is totally fine - don't be tempted to try and get out these lumps as you'll end up over-mixing. This will result in a chewy, gummy cake sponge that is not nice (from personal experience!).

STEP 6. Pour into prepared pan. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top (Image 10). Give the pan a couple of taps on the work surface to release any bubbles.

Arrange plum slices and bake. Arrange the sliced plums on top of the batter, working your way from the outside edge into the centre. You can add as many or little plums as you like (Image 11). If you want to see the plums after baking, don't press them down. I love the effect of them on the top they look stunning!

Option: Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the cake as I have done. It adds sweetness but also a little crunch to the top once baked. This is an extra little touch that I recommend (Image 12).

Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes until golden brown (Image 13). It will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Or the centre of the sponge, when pressed gently, springs back.

Remove the pan from the oven and set it onto a wire rack for ten minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake and release the sides of the pan.

📋 Recipe FAQ's