Baking Dessert

Serve this perfectly moist plum and nectarine tea cake for afternoon tea

Name: Plum and nectarine tea cake recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 125g salted butter, softened; 150g caster sugar; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste; 2 large eggs; 200g plain flour; 2 1/2 tsp baking powder; 180ml milk; 2 nectarines, stones removed, thinly sliced; 2 plums, stones removed, thinly sliced; 40.00 ml apricot jam, warm; Double cream, mascarpone or yoghurt (optional), to serve

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by Lucy Nunes

Delicious Team

Jan 12, 2026

This super-easy cake is fluffy and tender with juicy stonefruit throughout. We used nectarines and plums, but apricots or peaches would also be delicious. Brushing the warm cake with warm jam gives it a beautiful shine, and also helps to preserve the cake in case you don’t eat it all straightway.

You’ll need a 20cm round springform pan for this recipe.

125g salted butter, softened
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
2 nectarines, stones removed, thinly sliced
2 plums, stones removed, thinly sliced
2 tbs apricot jam, warm
Double cream, mascarpone or yoghurt (optional), to serve

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease base and side of a 20cm round springform pan and line with baking paper.
2.

Whisk softened butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and combined. Add eggs and whisk until combined. Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Sift over half the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then stir until partially combined. Add half the milk and stir until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk. Pour two-thirds of batter into prepared pan. Layer half the fruit in a single layer, slightly overlapping. Pour over remaining batter and arrange remaining fruit on top. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Immediately brush top with warm jam.
3.

Stand cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before releasing from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with cream, mascarpone or yoghurt, if desired.