When I saw Smitten Kitchen’s Big Apple Crumb Cake, I knew instantly I had to make it. That doesn’t happen to me all the time with recipes, just ask my constantly growing collection of bookmarks, but the moment this cake came onto my computer, it was destined to go in the oven.
But Mom has developed a sensitivity to apples, so we don’t eat a lot of those around here, and I definitely don’t bake with them. Plus, I still have one foot firmly in (late) summer fruit that rolls into fall effortlessly, so plums made an easy swap. They are still awesome right now – I have a ton from Costco, and they are just begging to be baked into a masterpiece.
This cake has all the holiday brunch get together vibes. That is if you want to share. Because this cake is better than I thought it would be, better than you can imagine looking at the pictures. So, sure, it’s a crowd pleaser to share with friends or family, but it’s also something you might not want to share.
The cake is great with some vanilla vibes, but it’s really just there to showcase the plums and crumbs, so the whole thing isn’t a giant mess.
The plums get jammy and juicy and have a hint of warm spice. The topping is crunchy and craggy and makes up the vast majority of the cake, which is how any crumb cake should be. The crumbs are life, and even if you do share this cake, you will probably steal the best crumbs off the top before doing so. I mean that’s what I did. No one will ever know the difference 🙂
Paleo Plum Crumb Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 slices 1x
Description
Update the classic breakfast treat with vanilla cake, subtly spiced plums, and an irresistible crumb topping.
Ingredients
Crumbs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch ground cardamom
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Plums
4–6 plums (enough to make a complete layer over the cake)
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Cake
6 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
¼ cup maple sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 ¼ cups paleo flour blend
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, 325 degrees F convection. Oil an 8 or 9 inch square pan.
Make the crumbs. In a medium bowl, stir together cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt, and flour. Stir in oil, sugar, and syrup until clumps of various sizes form. Set aside.
Stir the plums together with the lemon juice, syrup, ginger, and cardamom to macerate while making the cake.
Make the cake. in a medium bowl, beat the oil and sugar until combined and slightly lightened in texture. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in half the flour, followed by the milk, and finally the baking powder and remainder of the milk.
Spread the cake batter on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with an even layer of plums, covering all the cake. Pour any juice left in the bowl over the plums. Finish by sprinkling with the crumbs. Bake about 1 hour. A toothpick test is tough, so make sure it’s golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. Cool completely in the pan.
Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Plums are wonderful in baked goods! This is such a nice way to use them — wonderful recipe. Big slice for me, please. 🙂
Plums are a very underrated fruit. Thanks, John!