This easy plum crumble cake is tender and soft, full of juicy plums, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon and brown sugar crumble.
I make this plum crumble cake every year during plum season because it's delicious, you can prepare it in about 20 minutes (+ baking time), and it only needs a few everyday ingredients. We always get so many Italian plums from our neighbors' gardens that I need to have quite a few plum recipes up my sleeve to use them all.
If you like this cake but don't have any plums, feel free to replace them with other fruit. Apples are great all year round, but berries in summer or canned peaches in winter work well, too. If you like baking with apples, try this Apple and Rhubarb Cake, too.
If you like simple fruit cakes with crumbles or streusel, try our Cherry Crumble Cake or this Any Fruit Crumble Cake.
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50-65 minutes | Ingredients: 10 + salt | Servings: 10 | Difficulty: Easy
Recipe ingredients
Plums: I use Italian plums for this cake because they're firm, not overly juicy, and hold their shape well during baking. Regular plums work, too, but they should still be rather firm, not too soft.
Full-fat yogurt. You can replace it with sour cream.
Butter: You'll need softened butter for the cake batter and melted butter for the crumble topping.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar for the batter and sprinkling over plums and light brown sugar for the crumbles. You can also try these Cherry Streusel Muffins if you love crumbly toppings.
Other ingredients: All-purpose flour, vanilla, and cinnamon.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make plum crumble cake
Step #1: Wash, halve, and pit the plums. Mix them with 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar.
Step #2: Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the crumble. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbles form.
Step #3: Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt separately, then add them to the batter alternately with the yogurt. Mix briefly until combined.
Step #4: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Arrange the plum halves on top.
Step #5: Scatter the crumbles evenly over the plums.
Step #6: Bake for about 50-65 minutes. Check after 45 minutes; a skewer inserted into the cake batter should come out clean. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove from the springform and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Tips
Measurements: I always recommend using a digital kitchen scale in baking; it guarantees the best results, and weighing is much faster and tidier than dealing with filling, leveling, and emptying cups.
Don't overmix the batter: After adding the dry ingredients, mix only until the ingredients are combined; overmixing can make the cake dense.
Check the cake near the end of baking: Insert the skewer into a part of the cake without a plum, as the fruit will remain moist.
Storage
Room temperature: Keep the cake covered in a cool place for up to 2 days. If the weather is very warm, don't keep it longer than one day at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze individual slices in airtight containers for up to 2 months and thaw them at room temperature. You can also wrap the whole cake well and freeze it.
Serving suggestions
The plum crumble cake is perfect on its own, but you can serve it with a little whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's great with coffee or tea in the afternoon.
More fruit cakes
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📖 Recipe
Plum Crumble Cake
Equipment
- Springform pan 9-inch (23 cm)
- Bowls
Ingredients
Plums:
- 1.3 lbs Italian plums weighed before pitting
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
Crumble topping:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Note 1
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
Cake batter:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (3.5 oz)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- â…“ cup + 1 tablespoon full-fat yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
Prepare:
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), conventional heat. Grease the springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Plums: Wash, halve, and pit the plums. Mix them with the sugar.1.3 lbs Italian plums + 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
Crumbles:
- Crumble: Melt the butter. Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbs form.4 tablespoons unsalted butter; ¾ cup all-purpose flour + 3 tablespoons light brown sugar + ½ teaspoon cinnamon + 1 pinch of salt
Cake batter:
- Batter: Beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.7 tablespoons unsalted butter + ½ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 2 large eggs
- Dry ingredients: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add them to the butter mixture alternately with the yogurt. Mix briefly until combined.1½ cups all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon full-fat yogurt
- Assemble: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Arrange the plum halves on top. Scatter the crumbles over the plums.
- Bake for approximately 50-65 minutes, checking after 45 minutes. A skewer inserted into the cake batter should come out without wet batter (Note 3).
- Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove the springform ring and leave the cake to cool further on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Measurements: I recommend using a digital kitchen scale in baking.
- Plums: Italian plums are ideal, but other firm plums work, too. The 1.3 lbs (600 g) plum weight is measured before removing the pits.
- Baking time depends on the oven and the juiciness of the plums. Check the cake in an area without fruit.
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