German Plum Streusel Cake
Plums pair beautifully with both cinnamon and ground almonds in this delicious German Plum Streusel Cake with cinnamon.
It’s no secret round here that plums are one of my favourite fruits. I have wonderful childhood memories of my grandmother’s plum jam made from dark and delicious Black Doris plums from her garden, and there is something very special about their intoxicating sweet and sour flavour.
That jammy tartness is EXACTLY what makes plums perfect in a coffee cake, offsetting the buttery crumble perfectly as in today’s recipe: German Plum and Cinnamon Streusel Cake.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
▼
Ingredients
This is a very simple cake, with simple ingredients (but that doesn’t make it any less delicous!) I like to use dark plums for the most striking contrast on the plate. To make my German Plum Cake with Streusel, you’ll need the following main ingredients:
- Cinnamon – a hint of warming spice compliments the plums wonderfully.
- Plums – Look for medium- sized plums for the best fit on top of the cake.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in baking, so that I can control the amount of salt in the final recipe. If using salted butter, omit any salt from the rest of the recipe.
- Flour – Plain or all-purpose flour is suitable for baking this cake.
- Sugar – I use white sugar and vanilla sugar in this cake. Brown sugar tends to overpower the fruit. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, use a teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
- Eggs – I use German size medium eggs in this recipe, which are closer to large in the rest of the world.
- Ground Almonds – Almonds add a lovely nuttiness to the streusel topping. If you are watching out for allergens, simply replace them with the same weight (not volume!) of flour.
Streuselkuchen or streusel cake also has a very special place in my heart. I mean, it has the best of all worlds: cake, cooked fruit, and crumble topping – and it is infinitely adaptable to whatever fruit is in season.
Instructions
German Plum Streusel Cake is a kitchen classic and very simple to make. Do make sure you check that the cake is cooked through by using a skewer, cakes that have a lot of fruit in them always take longer to cook than you think!
- Prepare the oven: Heat to 180°C (350°F). Line and grease a 26cm / 10 in. round springform cake pan.
- Make the batter: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in baking powder, salt, and flour until just combined.
- Assemble the cake: Spread batter in the cake pan. Arrange plums, cut side down, over the batter.
- Prepare streusel: Mix flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir in melted butter to form crumbs, then sprinkle evenly over the plums.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Let the cake cool before removing from the tin. Slice and enjoy (German-style with plenty of whipped cream!)
Variations
Apples, apricots, plums, pears, rhubarb, or even raspberries all benefit from this simple but delicious combination of buttery streusel and fresh fruit.
The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use other fruit to make this streusel cake?
Absolutely, berries, stone fruit, apples or pears all work well.
Can I make this cake in other sized cake pans?
Yes, though if it is a smaller tin it will need to cook longer, if it is in a larger tin the cooking time will be shorter. You will need to experiment.
Do I have to use nuts to make this cake?
Plums pair beautifully with cinnamon and almonds, so here, the crumble/streusel is half made from ground almonds with plenty of cinnamon mixed in. If you have any problems with nuts, just leave them out and replace with an equal weight of plain flour.
German Plum Streusel Cake
Plums pair beautifully with both cinnamon and ground almonds in this delicious German Plum Streusel Cake with cinnamon.
Ingredients
for the cake:
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened
- 125 g white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar or essence
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 250 g plain or all-purpose flour
for the filling:
- 500 g dark plums
for the streusel:
- 150 g plain or all-purpose flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 50 g white sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 125 g unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- PREPARE: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4, then line the base and grease the sides of a 26cm spring form tin.
- CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR: Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.125 g unsalted butter, 125 g white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla sugar or essence, 3 eggs
- ADD DRY INGREDIENTS: Beat in the baking powder, and salt, then add all the flour and mix until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top and then set aside.2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 250 g plain or all-purpose flour
- ADD PLUMS: Wash, halve and stone the plums (I always use a pointed teaspoon to remove the stones easily), then in a circular pattern, push them stem side down into the cake batter, leaving a clear space in the middle of the cake.500 g dark plums
- MAKE STREUSEL: To make the streusel, combine all ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl, pour in the butter, then whisk together until the mixture forms rough pebbles. If it is overly moist, add another tablespoon or two of flour.150 g plain or all-purpose flour, 100 g ground almonds, 2 tsp cinnamon, 50 g white sugar, 125 g unsalted butter, 1 pinch salt
- BAKE: Spread the streusel mixture evenly over the plums, then bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, testing with a skewer to ensure that the cake is done. If the streusel topping is browning too fast, cover the cake with a piece of aluminium foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time.
- COOL AND SERVE: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the ring of the tin. Allow to cool completely before serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Recipe first published on daysofjay.com in October 2016. Updated March 2025 for clarity.
Recommended Equipment
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 430mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 29g
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
About the Author
Jay Wadams is a cookbook author, food photographer, and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Gastronomy and Nutrition.
Based in Italy 🇮🇹 Germany 🇩🇪 and Australia 🇦🇺.
