This beautiful plum yogurt cake is so easy to make with fresh plums - just cut them in half and plop them on the cake batter. Cinnamon + nutmeg enhance this cozy dessert, while brown sugar streusel on top adds the perfect crunchy balance.
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Your Favorite Plum Yogurt Cake Just Got Way Easier
Let me introduce you to my new favorite cake this year - plum yogurt cake with brown sugar streusel! I love this simple cake because while it looks stunning, it's actually unbelievably easy to make!
I cut fresh plums in half (no peeling needed) rather than slicing them, to ensure all the fruit is the same size so bakes into soft, juicy goodness all at the same time. And the cake itself is light, buttery, and packed with warm baking spices like cinnamon + nutmeg. Finally, a crumbly brown sugar streusel on top adds just the right amount of crunch & extra sweetness to this moist plum cake. Psst, the streusel also helps anchor the plums in place, so they don't sink!
Enjoy German Plum Cake from Breakfast to Dessert!
I was inspired to create this delicious plum yogurt cake recipe by the fruity, buttery slices of Zwetschgenkuchen or Pflaumenkuchen that I remember from my childhood growing up in Germany. And while this rustic plum cake is great for dessert, it's light enough to enjoy as an afternoon snack with coffee or tea for Kaffee und Kuchen, like my German almond cherry coffee cake. Heck, my parents even ate this cake for breakfast several mornings!
Which Plums Should I Bake With?
Sadly, my local grocery store usually only carries one variety of plum, which is black plums. However, there are three different varieties that all work great in this cake!
- Italian Prune Plums (aka European Plums)
This variety is a little sweet & a little tangy, so they're great if you don't want a super sweet cake. And their firm flesh holds its shape really well, so it won't make your cake soggy or mushy. - Black Plums
These are really sweet and add a beautiful, vibrant color contrast to your cake. But they can be pretty juicy, so use ones that are a little underripe & feel firm, to avoid adding too much moisture. - Red Plums
These can been the sweetest of all three, so if you have a sweet tooth, reach for red plums! They're also a little less juicy than black plums, and they add a lovely red color to your bake.
Welcome to My Kitchen - Let's Bake Plum Cake!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until it's creamy.
3. Mix in the eggs and almond extract.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
7. Mix together the brown sugar streusel.
9. Sprinkle the streusel on top.
4. Mix in the Greek yogurt.
6. Spread the batter into a cake pan and refrigerate.
8. Arrange the halved plums on the cake.
10. Bake, slice, and enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
For that breathtaking, jaw-dropping presentation, cut each cake slice in the middle of a plum, to show off its gorgeous color and texture!
Essential Tips for Baking with Fresh Plums
- Enhanced Flavor: We're adding warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg along with almond extract to amp up the natural fruity flavor of plums.
- Prevent Sunken Plums: After several recipe tests, I landed on the perfect thick cake batter that can hold the weight of the plums. And by chilling the batter for 15 minutes, we can prevent the fruit from sinking to the bottom.
- Avoid a Mushy Mess: Use plums that are firm and ripe or even slightly underripe. They soften a ton as they bake, and mushy plums will release too much moisture into your yogurt plum cake.
- Cut-Side-Up: It's important to place the plums cut-side-up on your cake, which slows down the release of their juices into the batter.
- Switch Out the Fruit: If plums aren't your jam, feel free to swap in similar-sized stone fruits, like my apricot almond cake.
Easy Streusel Plum Yogurt Cake (without oil)
Equipment
Ingredients
Plum Yogurt Cake
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons almond extract (or vanilla extract)
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 4 to 5 plums, washed and dried (see note below for varieties)
Brown Sugar Streusel
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar for a few minutes, until it is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and almond extract and beat again until it's well-combined.
- Add the Greek yogurt and mix with a silicone spatula until everything is well-combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and gently mix with a large silicone spatula just until there's no dry flour visible.
- Spread the batter in the greased cake pan and smooth the top of the batter with a spatula. Set it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare the streusel by mixing the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl until it looks clumpy.
- Slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Gently press the plums cut-side-up onto the top of the chilled cake batter (don't bury them down too deeply). The plums will sit pretty high on top of the cake, but that gives plenty of room for the streusel & for the cake to rise up around the plums.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of the plums and cake.
- Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Slice & enjoy!
Notes
- Plum Varieties: I recommend using black plums, red plums, or Italian prune plums (also called European plums) for the best flavor and texture. Select plums that are ripe but still firm. Mushy plums will add too much moisture and make your cake wet.
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