This moist and rich sour cream coffee cake is topped with the most delicious streusel made of juicy plums, ginger, and coconut. It’s easy to make and pairs perfectly with a steaming cup of tea or coffee!
Let me start by saying that this cake has made it to the top of my top cakes list, and that’s a hard list to get onto!
The moment I received the book Modern Potluck by Kristin Donnelly in my mailbox, I was super excited. Potluck gatherings have always been a tradition in my family, which makes sense because anything and everything that involves lots of food becomes a tradition in my family. While everyone tends to make their favorite dishes over and over again, I think I am finally starting to get them to try and make new things.
The book includes simple recipes with short ingredient lists and easy-to-follow instructions, which is exactly my style. So far I’ve tried a few recipes and they were all so good, but this cake was the one I had to share with you! It looks so simple that it’s hard to believe just how good it is. This will make any guest of yours satisfied for sure.
The base for this cake is a classic sour cream cake. The sour cream gives the cake a tender crumb and a rich delicious flavor. Then there’s the streusel—my favorite part of any crumb cake and the reason, I believe, why coffee cakes are so popular. The twist of adding fruit, ginger, and coconut to the streusel takes this cake to the next level. You can also use pears or peaches instead of plums, which sound just as good.
This cake is so addictive that I ate 4 pieces in a row the first chance I got. You won’t be satisfied with only one piece because it’s simply impossible. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
How to make plum ginger coffee cake
- Prepare the streusel. Combine flour, brown sugar, ginger, and salt, and then add the coconut and crystallized ginger. Drizzle in melted butter and use your hand to form the mixture in clumps. Refrigerate.
- Make the cake. This cake is made using the creaming method. Start by combining the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 1 minute. Add each egg one at a time so each completely emulsifies, and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Then you’ll add the sour cream and dry ingredients in three additions. Scrape the batter into a prepared pan.
- Add the plums. Take the streusel out of the fridge and combine the plums.
- Top the cake with streusel. The last step is to top the cake with your delicious streusel! Then, it’s ready for the oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the streusel is golden and crispy.
More of my favorite coffee cake recipes
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake: This moist and tender sour cream cake has two layers of crunchy cinnamon streusel baked right in.
- Mom’s Honey Cake: A perfectly sweet and delicious loaf cake bursting with honey flavor.
- Chocolate Chip Cake: Vanilla cake combined with loads of chocolate chips for one of my all time favorite coffee cakes.
- Peanut Butter Cake: This light, fluffy, and decadent peanut butter cake is topped with a crunchy peanut butter crumble that takes it to the next level. I personally love eating with with a mug of hot chocolate!
Plum Ginger Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- 1 ⅛ cup (140g/5 oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g/3.5 oz) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup flaked coconut , preferably unsweetened
- ¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
For the cake:
- 2½ cups (350 g/12.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/227 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups (300 g/10.5 oz) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) sour cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large plums (about ¾ pound), chopped into bite-size pieces
Instructions
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Prepare the streusel:
Use a fork to mix the flour with the brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until it resembles a clumpy dough. Add the coconut and crystallized ginger, and use your fingers to break the mixture into clumps. Refrigerate.
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Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan.
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Make the cake:
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the 1 cup butter with sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the sour cream and vanilla. Beat the flour mixture into the batter in 3 additions until just incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread it to the edges.
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Add the plums to the streusel mixture and toss. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
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Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes until the crumb topping is browned and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
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Cake can be kept in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.
