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Prune Plum Crumble Cake

Prune plum crumble cake cut into squares with juicy plum layers and a crisp streusel topping.
A soft almond cake topped with juicy prune plums and a buttery cinnamon streusel. A simple seasonal bake for late summer and autumn.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 48 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Course Autumn, Bakes & Desserts, Summer
Cuisine International
Servings 12
Calories 351 kcal

Ingredients  

Cake

  • 150 g unsalted butter softened
  • 140 g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
  • 200 g plain flour
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • 60 ml milk

Plum Layer

  • 500 g prune plums Zwetschken/Italian prune plums
  • 1 tsp plain flour

Streusel

  • 100 g plain flour
  • 70 g cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 60 g light brown sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F. Grease and line a 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 inch) square baking tin.
  • Halve the prune plums lengthways, remove the stones and toss the fruit with 1 teaspoon of flour. Quarter any particularly large plums.
  • To make the streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture forms fine crumbs with some larger clumps. Refrigerate while preparing the cake.
  • Beat the softened butter and caster sugar for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and lemon zest.
  • Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Fold into the butter mixture, then fold in the milk until you have a thick, spreadable batter.
  • Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin. Arrange the prune plums closely over the surface, cut-side up, pressing them lightly into the batter.
  • Scatter the chilled streusel evenly over the plums without pressing it down.
  • Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the streusel is lightly browned and a skewer inserted into an exposed section of cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Loosely cover with foil if the top browns before the centre is cooked.
  • Cool in the tin for 20–30 minutes, then lift the cake onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool further before slicing.

Notes

Variations and Substitutions

Change the spices: Cinnamon works well with prune plums, but you can replace it with a small amount of ground cardamom or add a pinch of ground cloves for a more pronounced autumn spice profile.
Add more almond flavour: Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the cake batter alongside the vanilla. Keep the quantity restrained so it doesn't overpower the fresh plums.
Use other plums: Regular fresh plums can be used when prune plums aren't available. Choose firm-ripe fruit and cut larger, juicier plums into wedges rather than halves.
No ground almonds: Replace the 50 g ground almonds with an additional 50 g plain flour. The cake will be slightly less rich, so add another 1–2 tablespoons of milk if the batter is difficult to spread.
Adjust the sweetness: If your prune plums are particularly tart, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of caster sugar over the fruit before adding the streusel. Very ripe, sweet plums shouldn't need it.

Storage and Freezing

Once completely cool, keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to one day or refrigerate in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Bring refrigerated slices towards room temperature before serving, or warm them briefly in a low oven.
The cake can also be frozen in individual pieces for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled pieces well, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm briefly in the oven if you want to refresh the streusel topping.
Keyword autumn baking, Italian prune plum cake, plum crumble cake, plum streusel cake, prune plum cake, prune plum crumble cake, seasonal baking, Zwetschken