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Side view of a slice of Plum Berry Crumb cake on a shallow white bowl in the sun.
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Plum Berry Crumb Cake

A soft and fluffy yogurt cake batter filled with berries, topped with plums, more berries, a buttery streusel and a lemon glaze, this Plum Berry Crumb Cake is perfect for summer.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Cooling30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American, German
Keyword: blueberries, crumb cake, lemon glaze, plums
Servings: 9

Equipment

Ingredients

Crumble

  • 100 grams salted butter
  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 145 grams all purpose flour

Berry Cake

  • 125 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 200 grams all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 150 grams salted butter soft
  • 100 grams full fat greek yogurt
  • 3 eggs large, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit

  • 250 grams raspberries fresh or frozen
  • 200 grams blueberries fresh or frozen
  • 350 grams plums pits included in weight

Lemon Glaze

  • 45 grams lemon juice
  • 300 grams powdered sugar

Instructions

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium bowl add in the soft butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Use a fork to stir together until smooth.
  • Pour in the flour and use the fork to rub the flour into the butter mixture until fully combined.

Cake Batter

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center.
  • In a medium bowl add in the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Then add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
  • Add in the soft butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.
  • Use the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to mix the ingredients first on medium low until 90% combined.
  • Pour in 150 grams of raspberries and 100 grams of blueberries into the cake batter. Use a flat rubber spatula to fold them in and finish mixing the batter.
  • Line the pan with a rectangle of parchment that is 15" x 8" from one side to another. Pour in the cake batter.
  • Smooth out the cake with a rubber spatula or a mini offset spatula.

Assemble and Bake the Cake

  • Cut the plums in half and remove the pits. Then cut each half into four slices and then each of those in half again (if you can) to have 8 slices (per half of plum).
  • Lay the slices down on their sides in rows across the top of the cake to cover the surface. Top with the remaining berries.
  • Clump the streusel and sprinkle it over the fruit layer.
  • Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for 30-35 more minutes.
  • The cake will be done when the streusel will be slightly more golden brown on the edges. and the cake should only have a very slight or no wobble.
  • Once baked, remove from the oven and make the glaze while it starts to cool.

Lemon Glaze

  • In a medium bowl add in the powdered sugar and lemon juice.
  • Whisk to combine until smooth. If it's too thin add more powdered sugar, if it's too thick add a bit more lemon juice.
  • While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze on top and use the back of a spoon to spread it over the streusel.
  • Leave the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack. Ideally you want the glaze to set until the glaze is hard and crackly. Think glazed donut.
  • Run a knife along the edge between the cake and the pan. Then either lift the cake out with the parchment or slice the cake while it’s still in the pan.

Notes

Tips for making a Plum Berry Crumb Cake
  • Any type of plums will work but you could also swap them out for peaches or apricots.
  • Fresh or frozen berries can be used for the batter and topping! If they're frozen don't defrost them first.
  • Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature - this will help get a smooth and fluffy cake batter.
  • I recommend using this 9"x9" square pan from USA pan because it's non-stick, and the sides are nice and tall. If you want to be able to lift the whole cake out, I recommend adding in a rectangle of brown parchment paper that reaches from one side to the other to use as a sort of sling.
  • This cake can be difficult to tell when it is finished baking, but you'll know it's done when the streusel is golden brown and there isn't MUCH of a wobble left on the cake. It's ok if it still wobbles a little bit though.
  • Let the cake cool for at least 10-15 minutes before glazing and then another 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Additional Crumb Cakes to try!