Soft, spiced cake is topped with juicy plums and a brown sugar and walnut streusel topping. This plum streusel crumb cake is perfect for a late summer treat!
What genius invented crumb cake? That’s what I want to know. I’d like to find them, hug them, and serve them a slice of this plum streusel crumb cake. I think they’d revel in all the deliciousness and honestly be beyond thrilled that they ever had the genius idea to invent crumb cake in the first place.
Currently loving this crumb cake in particular. It’s really got me swooning. Late summer is the peak of plum season, so if you’ve got access to some fresh plums, please do yourself a favor and make this crumb cake. This plum streusel crumb cake has it all: sweet, tart, spiced, a little nutty, soft, a little texture. All the good things. The sweet, perfectly spiced cake combines so beautifully with the tart plums. And then the streusel topping? Oh sweet goodness. The streusel topping is a combination of butter, brown sugar, spices, and walnuts, so it adds a whole ‘nother level of sweet, spice, and texture. Each layer of this crumb cake comes together to create this beautiful, harmonious, bite of everything you want in life. Still swooning over here.
Another thing I love about this recipe? It’s so easy to make. Make the streusel, make the cake batter, slice up some plums, throw it all together and BAM you have a drool-worthy, cozy crumb cake. This recipe is also great if you need something to snack on throughout the week or need to make a treat ahead of time. It stays fresh in the fridge and freezes really well.
There you have it, friends! A beautiful, delicious, late summer treat that’s deceptively easy to make. Happy baking!
What you’ll need to make this crumb cake:
Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and walnuts for the streusel topping.
Butter: For flavor and moisture.
Sugar: For sweetness, and a soft, tender crumb.
Eggs: For structure and binding.
Sour cream: Using sour cream makes this crumb cake extra soft and moist. The acidity of the sour cream tenderizes the cake, while the extra fat-content adds moisture.
Vanilla: For extra flavor.
Flour: For structure.
Baking powder + baking soda: For leavening power.
Kosher salt: For balance.
Ground cinnamon + ground nutmeg: Adding some spice to this cake makes it wonderfully warm and cozy. A perfect way to balance the sweet cake and tart plums!
Whole milk: The fat content of whole milk adds moisture and makes for an extra smooth batter, while the bit of sugar in milk adds tenderness.
Plums: The star of the show! The plums get nice and juicy in the oven, releasing a wonderful sweet and tart flavor. The soft, juicy plums combined with a crunchy streusel and soft cake is a drool-worthy combination! I used black plums, but you could use red plums too.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream? Yes, just be sure it’s full-fat, plain yogurt.
What’s the best pan to use for this recipe? A 9” springform pan is the best pan for this recipe. This allows you to easily remove the cake from the pan and let it cool properly. You could use a regular 9” cake pan, but you’ll need to be sure it’s at least 3” deep as this cake does rise a bit.
Plum Streusel Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 1, 9″ cake 1x
- Category: Cake, Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
Soft, spiced cake is topped with juicy plums and a brown sugar and walnut streusel topping. This plum streusel crumb cake is perfect for a late summer treat!
Ingredients
For the streusel topping:
- 63 gm (1/2 cup, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 80 gm (1/3 cup firmly packed) light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 56 gm (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 56 gm (1/2 cup) walnuts, chopped
For the crumb cake:
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 200 gm (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 80 gm (1/3 cup) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 188 gm (1 1/2 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 60 gm (1/4 cup) whole milk, room temperature
- 3–4 medium sized plums, pitted and cut into eighths
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack set in the center of the oven. Grease a 9″ springform pan with baking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- First, make the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and kosher salt. Add the cold pieces of butter to the bowl and, using a pastry cutter or two sharp knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is pea-sized. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Set aside.
- Next, prepare your crumb cake batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through and again at the end. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, being sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until just combined. Then mix in the milk. Next, add the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until the ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Place the sliced plums on top of the batter in a concentric pattern. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the entire cake.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the rims of the springform pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Alternatively, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. I like to pop leftovers in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
Freezing: Make the crumb cake according to recipe instructions. Once completely cool, wrap the cake in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
