filling
- 500g ripe plums
Rustic plum and almond pie
Denis Calmis
28th August 2026
Rustic plum and almond pie
70 min
Sova Notting Hill's brand chef Denis Calmis shares his recipe for a rustic plum and almond pie, a simple bake that makes the most of seasonal plums at their sweetest.
Ground almonds give the sponge a moist, dense texture, while the fruit caramelises gently as it bakes, creating a pie that works equally well as a dessert or an afternoon treat. Serve warm with crème fraîche, Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.
Serves 8.
Ingredients
pie case
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 150g ground almonds
- 75g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- pinch of salt
topping
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds, optional
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for finishing
Method
plums
Cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Leave the smaller plums halved and cut any large ones into quarters.
baking
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Bake for 45–50 minutes, until golden around the edges and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The plums should be soft, juicy and slightly caramelised.
Leave the pie to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before serving.
pie case
Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest.
Fold in the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and salt until you have a smooth batter.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it evenly. Arrange the plums closely over the surface, cut-side down, gently pressing them into the batter.
Sprinkle with the extra brown sugar and flaked almonds, if using.
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