Roast Plum & Lemon Thyme Olive Oil Cake

This one-bowl cake is next-level delicious! Juicy roasted plums, fragrant lemon thyme, and rich olive oil create a beautifully moist, gluten-free bake. The syrup soaks in perfectly, making every bite irresistibly moreish!

GF | Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 50 mins | Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

For the Cake Base:

• 100ml olive oil

• 70g caster sugar

• 70g runny honey

• 3 medium eggs + 2 yolks

• 200g ground almonds

• 100g spelt flour (or 80g gluten-free flour)

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ⅓ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• ½ tsp sea salt

• Zest of 4 lemons

• 100g Greek yogurt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Syrup:

• 150ml lemon juice (approx. 4 lemons)

• 35g caster sugar

• 2.5 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the Roasted Plums:

• 4 medium, semi-ripe plums, halved & stoned

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Method

Step 1: Roast the Plums

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan).

2. Line a 9-inch baking tin with baking paper and place plum halves inside.

3. Sprinkle over brown sugar and roast for 20 minutes.

4. Switch to the grill setting (220°C) and grill for 4-5 minutes until lightly charred.

Step 2: Make the Cake Batter

1. While the plums roast, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, honey, and eggs in a bowl.

2. Stir in the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and lemon zest.

3. Mix in the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract until smooth.

Step 3: Bake the Cake

1. Remove the plums from the tin and pour in the cake batter.

2. Arrange the roasted plums on top, cut side up.

3. Reduce oven temp to 170°C (fan) and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out fairly clean.

Step 4: Make the Lemon Thyme Syrup

1. Mix together the lemon juice and caster sugar in a bowl.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil, then fry the thyme leaves for 2-3 minutes until crisp.

3. Stir the thyme into the lemon juice mix.

Step 5: Finish & Serve

1. Once the cake is baked, pour over the warm syrup and allow it to soak in.

2. Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche or yogurt.

This Roast Plum & Lemon Thyme Cake is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and herby goodness.