Plum Streusel Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is built in layers like a lasagna. Batter, streusel, sugar-coated plum halves, more batter, more streusel, and more plums on top. Every slice cuts through alternating ribbons of tender cake, cinnamon-walnut crumble, and soft, jammy fruit.

Tossing the plum halves in sugar before layering them draws out their juices during baking. That released liquid soaks into the surrounding batter and streusel, creating pockets of concentrated plum flavor and a moist crumb that would be impossible to achieve without the fruit.

The streusel is a simple mix of brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter, and chopped walnuts. Unlike the topping on a typical crumble, this streusel goes both in the middle and on top, so you get crunch running through the entire cake, not just on the surface.

Cutting the shortening into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender keeps the cake batter light and tender. This isn’t a creamed butter cake. It’s closer to a biscuit-style batter that stays soft and doesn’t compete with the fruit and streusel layers.

Chef Tips

• Use ripe but firm plums. Overripe plums will dissolve into the batter and disappear. You want halves that hold their shape.
• Don’t press the top layer of plums into the streusel. Just set them gently on top so they bake into the surface.
• Wrap leftovers in foil. This cake reheats well the next day and honestly tastes just as good cold.

Variations

• Peach swap: Use peeled, halved peaches when plums aren’t in season for a different stone fruit version.
• Almond streusel: Replace the walnuts with sliced almonds and add a drop of almond extract to the batter.