Yogurt Plum Cake
This yogurt plum cake is tender and moist, topped with juicy plum slices and a crispy sugar streusel. It comes together easily without a mixer, and it’s the perfect combination of textures and flavors, the perfect cake for fresh plums!
About this recipe
This plum yogurt cake is a simple, unfussy fruit cake that’s perfect for late summer when plums are at their best. The batter is based on my Dutch apple cake, which uses a combination of melted butter and oil. The butter brings flavor and richness, and the oil keeps the crumb moist for days. I’ve swapped some of the milk for plain yogurt here, which adds a gentle tang that pairs beautifully with the sweet-tart plums.
The plums are sliced and fanned across the top in overlapping rows, then finished with a sandy sugar streusel. It’s the kind of cake that works equally well as an afternoon tea treat or a casual dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Key ingredients and why
- Fresh plums: Red or black plums work best here because they look the prettiest and taste the best. Their juices bleed beautifully into the top of the cake. Slice them to around ¼ inch thick so they cook through.
- Melted butter: Butter gives this cake its flavor and richness.
- Oil: A small amount of oil alongside the butter keeps the crumb moist even after a couple of days. Butter alone can sometimes make a cake a little dense, and the oil counteracts that.
- Plain yogurt: Full-fat yogurt adds a subtle tang and helps create a tender crumb. The acidity in the yogurt slightly inhibits gluten development, which keeps the cake soft rather than tough. You can substitute it with sour cream or buttermilk if that’s what you have.
Method
- Rub the cold butter into the flour and brown sugar with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine, sandy crumbs with a few small clumps.
- Pop it in the fridge while you make the batter.
- Halve the plums, remove the stones, and slice them into ¼-inch slices. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until well combined.
- Tip in the flour, baking powder, and salt and fold until just combined. A few small lumps are fine, don’t over-mix.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Fan the plum slices across the top in overlapping rows.
- Generously scatter the cold streusel lightly and evenly over the fruit.
- Bake until deep golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Tips
- Use an 8-inch square pan with at least 2-inch high sides. This batter is sized for an 8-inch square, which gives a good depth and a substantial slice. A 9-inch square would spread the batter quite thin and the cake would bake faster and risk drying out. If you only have a round pan, an 8-inch round with at least 3-inch high sides will also work, though you may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time as the batter will sit a little deeper.
- Keep the streusel cold. Cold butter is what gives the streusel its crumbly, sandy texture. If it warms up before baking, it can clump together and bake dense rather than light and crisp. If your kitchen is warm, give the finished streusel a quick chill in the fridge before you scatter it over the cake.
- Test the skewer away from the plums. The fruit releases moisture during baking and keeps the batter directly beneath it wetter for longer. Test the skewer in the centre of the cake in a spot between the fruit slices for an accurate read.
- Tent with foil if needed. The streusel can brown quickly, especially toward the edges of the pan. If it’s darkening before the centre of the cake is set, lay a loose piece of foil over the top and continue baking.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients go in, fold just until no dry streaks remain. Over-mixing develops gluten and will make the cake tough rather than tender.
Storing
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cake can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Related recipes
- French Pear Cake
- Lemon Sour Cream Cake
- Toscakaka (Swedish Tosca Cake)
- Vanilla Almond Cake
- Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake)
Yogurt Plum Cake
This yogurt plum cake is tender and moist, topped with juicy plum slices and a light streusel. It comes together easily without a mixer.
Ingredients
Streusel
- 45 g butter salted or unsalted, cold and cubed
- 63 g all-purpose flour
- 63 g granulated sugar
Cake
- 4-5 fresh plums
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 85 g butter salted or unsalted, melted and cooled slightly
- 28 g neutral vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
- 120 g plain full-fat yogurt room temperature
- 60 g milk room temperature
Instructions
- Make the streusel: combine the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine, sandy crumbs with a few small clumps. Refrigerate while you prepare the batter. 45 g butter, 63 g all-purpose flour, 63 g granulated sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Grease and line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.
- Halve the plums and remove the stones. Slice into ¼-inch slices and set aside. 4-5 fresh plums
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 250 g all-purpose flour, 2½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt
- Add the melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine. 200 g granulated sugar, 85 g butter, 28 g neutral vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla paste, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 120 g plain full-fat yogurt, 60 g milk
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. A few small lumps are fine, don’t over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Fan the plum slices across the top of the batter in overlapping rows.
- Scatter the cold streusel lightly and evenly over the plums.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake between the plum slices comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. If the streusel is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving if you like.
Notes
Both US customary and metric measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.
The yogurt can be substituted with full-fat sour cream or buttermilk. Plums can be swapped for other stone fruit such as nectarines, peaches, or apricots, or replaced with berries. Test the skewer between the plum slices rather than directly beneath them. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 205mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 251IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
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