Plum Cake with Spiced Almond Crumble
This elegant plum cake, with a plush, sour cream-enriched crumb, uses Middle Eastern-inspired spicing—warming cardamom, cloves, allspice, and coriander. The sweet-tart fruit melds into the cake.
- Makes12 to 14 servings
- Cook Time1½ hours
- 2
In this adaptation of a recipe from the award-winning book “Suqar” by Greg and Lucy Malouf, wedges of sweet-tart fresh plums melt into a rich, buttery cake, the whole thing finished with a nutty brown sugar and spice crumble that complements the plush, tender crumb hiding just beneath. This fruit-forward cake is ideal for a weekend brunch, but special enough to serve as dessert after a summery meal. For prepping the baking pan or dish, we use baking spray, which is a mixture of oil and flour, to help guarantee that slices of the cake are easy to remove for serving. If you don’t have baking spray, butter the pan or dish, dust it with flour, then tap out the excess. Note that if you use a glass or ceramic baking dish rather than a metal pan, the baking times are slightly longer. If you like, dust the cake with powdered sugar just before serving, or spoon on a little whipped cream, gelato or ice cream.
Don’t leave the crumble mixture out at room temperature while you make the batter and for the first 25 to 30 minutes that the cake bakes. Freezing the topping and sprinkling it on midway through baking—as the recipe instructs—helps ensure it bakes up with a pleasantly pebbly, nubby texture and that it remains on the surface instead of sinking into the batter. Note that the butter for the crumble should be cool room temperature, but the butter for the cake must be at room temperature so it creams easily and yields a light, aerated batter.
Step 1
To make the crumble, in a 10-inch skillet over medium, toast the almonds, stirring often, until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small plate and let cool.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cardamom, coriander, allspice and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat the pieces, then, using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is mostly incorporated and in pea-sized pieces. Stir in the almonds. Transfer to a pie plate and, using your hands, press the mixture into an even layer about ¼ inch thick. Freeze uncovered until ready to use.
Step 3
To make the cake, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position.
Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or baking dish with baking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.
Step 4
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and white sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
With the mixer running on medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed. Increase to medium and beat until the mixture is fluffy and aerated, about 1 minute.
Step 5
With the mixer running on low, add about one-third of the dry ingredients followed by about half of the sour cream mixture.
Next, add about half of the remaining dry ingredients, then the remaining sour cream mixture and finally the remaining dry ingredients.
Mix on low until just combined, about 1 minute. Fold a few times with a spatula to ensure no pockets of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
Step 6
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread it in an even layer. Arrange the plum wedges on the surface in three rows along the length of the pan, overlapping them slightly if needed. Bake for 25 minutes if using a metal pan or for 30 minutes if using a glass or ceramic dish; the cake will be lightly browned on top and have enveloped some or all of the fruit.
Step 7
Remove the crumble mixture from the freezer and the cake from the oven (close the oven door). Working quickly, sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly onto the cake, breaking it up into pieces no larger than ½ inch (the topping should resemble a mixture of damp sand and pebbles).
Continue to bake until the crumble is golden brown and a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean, another 20 to 25 minutes if using a metal pan or another 25 to 30 minutes if using a glass or ceramic dish. Cool on a wire rack for a least 1 hour before cutting and serving.
