Tinned Plum Sponge Pudding

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An easy and delicious fruit sponge made from tinned plums and a simple batter of butter, sugar, egg, flour, baking powder and milk. The easiest sponge pudding for cool nights that need a sweet treat!

A baking dish with berry cobbler and a serving spoon, next to a bowl of cobbler topped with cream sauce, set on a wooden table with a green cloth and flowers.

Black doris plums are made for winter puddings, and this fluffy Tinned Plum Sponge Pudding is the ultimate cold-weather dessert! The vanilla batter is a simple, pantry-staple affair and the tinned plums are perfectly soft and sweet. Serve with custard, ice cream, whipped cream or Greek yoghurt! For another winter warmer dessert, be sure to have a look at our Apricot Crumble, which uses tinned apricots.

Ingredient notes:

Baking ingredients on a white surface: butter, egg, vanilla extract, sugar, plums in syrup, coffee sugar, flour, baking powder, and milk in separate containers.

Plums: This recipe is perfect for using store-bought, tinned plums.
Flour: This recipe calls for self-raising flour. If you only have plain flour in the cupboard, increase the baking powder from ½ a teaspoon to 2 teaspoons.
Vanilla extract: You can use vanilla extract or vanilla essence - whatever you have in the cupboard.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

Step by step instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, then beat until smooth and combined.

Clear glass bowl with softened butter, sugar, a cracked egg, and vanilla extract, about to be mixed together as part of a recipe.

A glass bowl containing pale yellow cake batter being mixed with a white spatula.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Add half of the milk and fold gently until the ingredients begin to combine. Add the remaining milk and mix until just smooth, being careful not to overmix.

A glass bowl of yellow cake batter sits next to a bowl of flour, a small dish of baking powder, and a jug of milk on a white countertop.

A glass bowl filled with partially mixed dough and flour, with a white spatula resting inside.

Drain the plums and remove the stones. Scatter the plums over the base of a 20cm square baking dish or similar. Spoon the pudding mixture over the top and spread evenly, then sprinkle over the coffee sugar.

A white baking dish filled with halved, cooked plums in a glossy, thick red sauce.

A white baking dish filled with a dessert topped with sugar crystals sits on a counter near an open container and a glass bowl with remnants of mixing.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Serve warm with custard, ice cream, yoghurt or cream.

A dish of baked fruit cobbler with a serving spoon, next to a bowl of cobbler topped with custard, on a wooden table with a green napkin and vase of flowers.

Recipe FAQs:

Do I need to use a hand mixer to make this?

I recommend using an electric mixer when creaming the butter and sugar, but this can be done by hand too - it will just take a little extra elbow grease to get the butter mixture nice and fluffy!

Can I use other tinned fruit in this recipe?

This sponge pudding can work with a multitude of tinned fruits; peaches, boysenberries, pears, you name it.

What is coffee sugar and do I need it?

Coffee sugar are is raw cane sugar formed into extra large crystals. It is optional as noted in the ingredients, but it does give this pudding a delicious, crunchy topping. You can swap for brown sugar if you don't have it.

Storage:

Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Top tips:

Keep the delicious plum syrup when straining and enjoy in a cocktail, with soda water or drizzled over yoghurt!
Avoiding over-mixing the cake mixture will make sure the cake stays fluffy and light.

Related Recipes:

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Tinned Plum Sponge Pudding

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

An easy and delicious fruit sponge made from tinned plums and a simple batter of butter, sugar, egg, flour, baking powder and milk.

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Ingredients

75g butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar, 115g
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
1 egg
1 ½ cups self-raising flour, 225g
½ tsp baking powder
250ml milk
850g tinned black doris plums
2 Tbsp coffee sugar, or brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, then beat until smooth and combined.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Add half of the milk and fold gently until the ingredients begin to combine. Add the remaining milk and mix until just smooth, being careful not to overmix.
Drain the plums and remove the stones. Scatter the plums over the base of a 20cm square baking dish or similar. Spoon the pudding mixture over the top and spread evenly, then sprinkle over the coffee sugar.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Serve warm with custard, ice cream, yoghurt or cream.

Notes

Keep the delicious plum syrup when straining and enjoy in a cocktail, with soda water or drizzled over yoghurt!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 44gProtein: 4g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya