plum cake

A slice of plum cake sits on a small white plate.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of cake containing dried fruits, especially raisins, currants, and spices, often associated with traditional British baking.

Usage Examples

• (A dense fruitcake with dried fruits.)
• (A sweet cake containing raisins and currants.)

Advanced Usage

• is sometimes used metaphorically to describe something that is rich, dense, or full of good things, though this is rare.
  • Her novel was a plum cake of historical detail and romance. (The novel was rich and layered with content.)

Variants and Related Words

• Plum pudding (n): a steamed or boiled dessert containing dried fruits and spices, traditionally served at Christmas.
  • We had plum pudding after the main course. (A rich fruit dessert.)
• Plum (n): the fruit itself, or a dark purple color.
  • The plum tree bore sweet fruit. (The fruit of the plum tree.)

Synonyms

• Fruitcake: a cake containing dried fruits and nuts.
• Raisin cake: a cake with raisins as a key ingredient.

Related Idioms

• "A plum cake": (informal) something considered very desirable or excellent.
  • That job offer is a real plum cake. (The job is highly attractive and valuable.)

Additional Notes

• Despite the name, traditional plum cake often contains raisins or currants rather than fresh plums. The term "plum" historically referred to dried fruits in general.