Name: Plum crumble cake recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves: 12
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients: 115g butter; 115g granulated sugar; 140g plain flour

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 30 November 2023

in Recipes

This plum crumble cake is easy to make and is on the table in an hour.

In this crumble topping we’ve used granulated sugar to give a little more texture but you can use caster sugar if you prefer or demerara for even more crunch. This recipe serves 12 and is under 400 calories per portion.

Ingredients

For the crumble:

115g butter
115g granulated sugar
140g plain flour

For the base:

150g sugar
2 eggs
150g butter
150g self-raising flour
2tsp milk

For the plum topping:

500g plums, stoned and halved

WEIGHT CONVERTER

I want to convert...

grams

cups

Method

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4) and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
In a bowl, rub the butter and flour together with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir the sugar in.
In a separate bowl, make the sponge base by creaming the margarine or butter and sugar together, then beating in the eggs. Stir in the flour and add the milk – beat the mixture well.
Spread the sponge mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place the plum halves on top of the base, on their sides or cut side up, crowding them closely together. Finally scatter the crumble mixture over the plums.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the sponge is cooked and the top is golden and crunchy. Leave to cool in the tin before slicing and serving.

Top tips for making our plum crumble cake:

Try adding a pinch of mixed spice, cinnamon or ginger to the crumble topping for a touch of festive spice.

What can I do with a bunch of plums?

If you don’t want to make this cake you can use plums to make a delicious chutney to serve with cheese. You can also make a spiced compote to serve with yogurt and granola. Alternatively, plums are delicious on their own as a healthy snack.

How can I tell if my plum crumble cake is cooked?

Use a skewer to test if your cake is cooked. Try to avoid going through a plum as this will wet the crumbs and might make you think the cake batter is still raw. A skewer should come out clean.

What to serve with a crumble cake?

If you are serving the cake as a dessert, we like to serve it with vanilla custard or some double cream. If the cake is still warm you might like to serve it with ice cream instead. Alternatively, the cake is delicious on its own as an afternoon treat. You can dust it with a little icing sugar for an easy but impressive decoration.

A 20cm square tin is very versatile and can be used for brownies, sponge cakes and shortbread.

If this recipe has you craving a regular plum crumble you should try our recipe. You might also like the Hairy Bikers apple and blackberry crumble or our easy crumble cake

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.