From Nigel's Kitchen Table
Plum Crumble Cake
An easy vegan vanilla sponge topped with juicy cinnamon plums and a crisp buttery-style crumble.
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A delicious and easy vegan plum crumble cake – a vanilla sponge with juicy cinnamon flavoured plums topped with crispy crumble.
I had almost forgotten about plum crumble cake until a recent trip to Germany. Thanks to my wife’s uncle I managed to pick a few plums from his tree over the weekend and thought I would have a go at making a vegan version this time.
The next day we headed over to the in-laws for lunch and no sooner had it been placed on the table it was all gone. I think it was a success 🙂
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
- EASE: Super easy.
- FREE FROM: dairy-free, nut-free and vegan.
- TASTE: sweet and fruity.
- TEXTURE: the sponge is moist and fluffy, filled with juicy plums, and topped with crispy crumble.
- QUANTITY: 12 slices (23cm / 10inch square baking pan)
- TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
For this recipe, all you need are these ingredients:
- Plain or all-purpose flour (BL55)
- Cornflour (cornstarch)
- Soft brown sugar (Vegan)
- Baking powder
- Neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable, or sunflower oil) or vegan butter
- Plant-based milk
- Fresh plums
- Ground cinnamon
Nigel Recommends
The Vanilla I Recommend
I recommend Taylor & Colledge vanilla products because they add a delicious depth of flavour while enhancing the other ingredients in the recipe. Choose from pure vanilla extract, vanilla paste or vanilla pods, depending on the recipe and the intensity of flavour you prefer.
Nigel Recommends
Don’t Skip the Salt
I always recommend adding a generous pinch of fine sea salt to your cakes. It balances the sweetness, softens any bitterness and brings out flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, fruit and spices. You should not taste the salt itself—it simply gives the finished cake greater depth and a more rounded flavour.
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?
Fruits: This recipe works great with other fruits too. Try other stone fruits like apricots, peaches, gooseberries, and pears, or mix it up with apples and blackberries.
Oils: If you don’t like the sound of using oil then you can replace it with vegan butter or of course for those non-vegans’ regular butter also works.
NUTRITION
Serving: one cake slice.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
This cake can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The crumble topping will become less crispy over time.
Freezing: This cake can be frozen but it will lose its crispiness.
EQUIPMENT SUGGESTIONS
- Large mixing bowl – I recommend the 29 cm Mason Cash cream earthenware mixing bowl because it is sturdy, chip-resistant and has a generous four-litre capacity, making it ideal for everything from cake batters to bread doughs. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. You can find this bowl and more of my favourite kitchen tools in my Amazon Baking Essentials collection.
- Measuring Spoons – I recommend these magnetic stainless steel measuring spoons for accurately measuring small quantities of ingredients. Their narrow shape fits comfortably inside most spice jars, while the magnetic handles keep the set neatly together for easy storage. You can find them and more of my favourite baking equipment in my Amazon Baking Essentials collection.
A great size and good quality non-stick pan for all your traybakes, bars and brownies etc…
RECIPE TIPS
Use plums that are just ripe. If you use over ripe plums, they will just be a mush in the middle. Unless you like that 🙂
Plum Crumble Cake – Revision
- 23cm (10inch) square baking pan
INGREDIENTS LIST
Vegan sponge
- 150 g plain flour (all-purpose) (BL55)
- 30 g cornflour (cornstarch) (cornstarch)
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
- 75 ml neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable or sunflower oil)
- 150 ml non-dairy milk (almond, oat, rice or soy milk) (room temperature)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Plums
- 500 g fresh plums
- 30 g light brown sugar (2 tbsp)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Crumble topping
- 100 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 50 tsp light brown sugar
- 50 ml coconut oil
Preparation
- Crumble topping: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon with a fork until well blended.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the coconut oil. Gently rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the crumble looks like chunky breadcrumbs. Don't over mix.
- Spread onto a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with cling wrap and chill until you are ready to use. Chilling will harden the coconut oil and will make the crumble crispier.
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan / 400°F / Gas 6. Line a 23cm (10inch) square baking pan with baking/parchment paper and leave a side until ready to use.
- Plums: Wash and then cut the plums in half lengthways removing the stones. Place them in a bowl and mix in the cinnamon and brown sugar and leave to macerate.
- Vegan sponge: In a large bowl add all the ingredients and whisk together until you have a smooth batter.
- Pour the sponge batter into the prepared baking tin, ensuring it is evenly spread across the bottom.
- Give the plums a stir and then arrange them vertically pushing them into the sponge batter.
- Remove the crumble topping from the fridge and break it up with a fork and sprinkle it over the top of the plums.
- Baking: Place the cake on the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp on top.Leave to cool in the tin or serve warm with some vanilla custard.
FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS
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