Baking · Cake

Cinnamon Plum Coffee Cake

I made this in late summer when plums were everywhere at the market and I wanted to do something with them that felt worth the effort. The cinnamon swirl through the centre and the plums on top caramelise slightly during baking and turn jammy in a way that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible. This is a slow Saturday morning cake if there ever was one.

Ingredients

Plum Compote

• 10 medium plums
• 150g sugar
• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract

Cinnamon Streusel

• 100g unsalted butter, cold
• 50g granulated sugar
• 50g brown sugar
• 140g all-purpose flour
• 5g cinnamon

Cake Base

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g granulated sugar
• 100g Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 200g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Method

1. 1Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
2. 2For the plum compote, slice plums and cook with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla over medium heat until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. 3For the streusel, combine cold butter, both sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Work with fingers until crumbly. Set aside.
4. 4Beat softened butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in yogurt and vanilla.
5. 5Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
6. 6Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Gradually fold into wet ingredients.
7. 7Spread half the batter into the pan, then spoon plum compote over it.
8. 8Carefully spread remaining batter over the compote, then add more compote on top.
9. 9Sprinkle cinnamon streusel evenly over the top.
10. 10Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.

Tips & Notes

Stone fruit like plums work wonderfully here but you can substitute peaches or nectarines. The streusel topping should be rubbed together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Serve warm with a drizzle of cream for an extra cozy treat.