Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This vegan plum cake is perfect for anyone looking for a dairy-free, egg-free treat or simply a delicious fall dessert. With its fluffy yeast dough, fruity plum layer, and aromatic cinnamon streusel topping, it’s a recipe that impresses without compromising on flavor. It’s rich, buttery, and perfectly spiced—ideal for a family gathering or cozy coffee break. In this post, I’ll share my tips to ensure your vegan plum streusel cake turns out beautifully.
Key Ingredients
This recipe combines a classic yeast dough base and streusel topping, blending elements of traditional plum cake with the indulgence of vegan baking.
- Plums: The star of the show! Choose ripe, juicy plums that aren’t overly soft. Seasonal and regional fruits work best. (Hurry, plum season doesn’t last long!)
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour (Type 405) works perfectly for a soft, airy texture. You can also use flour Type 550 or light spelt flour (Type 630) as alternatives.
- Sugar: I prefer to use regular white sugar but in reduced amounts compared to traditional recipes. For a caramelized flavor, substitute with cane sugar or coconut sugar.
- Yeast: Both dry yeast and fresh yeast work here. Fresh yeast requires a pre-dough step, while dry yeast is simpler to use.
- Plant-Based Milk: Soy milk is my go-to for its creamy texture, but oat, rice, or almond milk work as well. For almond milk, choose a creamier variety to avoid dryness in the cake.
- Vegan Butter Alternative: Use a butter substitute designed for baking, commonly made from plant-based fats like rapeseed, coconut, and shea oils. Margarine is an option, but ensure it’s 100% vegan.
- Cinnamon and Salt: These enhance the flavors and give the streusel its characteristic autumnal aroma.
How to Make Vegan Plum Cake in 3 Easy Steps
- Prepare the Yeast Dough: Mix the dough ingredients and knead until smooth. Allow the dough to rise in a warm (not hot) spot for about an hour until it doubles in size.
- Make the Streusel and Prepare the Plums: Combine the streusel ingredients using a stand mixer, then form into crumbs by hand for the best texture. Chill the streusel to prevent spreading during baking. Meanwhile, halve and pit the plums, arranging them in a fan shape later.
- Assemble and Bake: Roll out the yeast dough thinly (it will rise further in the oven). Layer the plums and top with the chilled streusel. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden and aromatic.
Important Tips for Perfect Results
Temperature plays a crucial role in yeast dough recipes:
- Use lukewarm soy milk (not hot) to activate the yeast properly.
- Keep the vegan butter soft and at room temperature for the dough but chilled for the streusel.
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot to ensure it becomes airy and fluffy.
Easy Variations
- With Other Fruits: Swap out plums for sliced apples or other stone fruits like peaches.
- Enhanced Streusel: Substitute part of the flour in the streusel with ground nuts (almonds or hazelnuts) for extra flavor. You can also experiment with spices like vanilla, tonka bean, or citrus zest.
Storing Your Vegan Plum Cake
This cake is best enjoyed fresh and slightly warm, but you can store it for 1–2 days in an airtight container. To refresh the texture, reheat briefly in the oven or microwave. The cake also freezes well for several months—if you can resist eating it all in one go!
Enjoy your baking journey! Whether you're trying this vegan plum cake or exploring other fall recipes like apple crumble, sugar-free apple cake, or plum crumble, I hope you find your perfect autumn treat.
Recipe Card
Vegan Plum Cake
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 7 grams (0.03 cups) dry yeast
- 100 grams (0.5 cups) sugar
- 500 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 270 mililiters (1.1 cups) soy milk, lukewarm
- 100 grams (1 cups) vegan butter, softened
- 1 pinch salt
For the Streusel
- 210 grams (1 ⅔ cups) all-purpose flour
- 100 grams (0.5 cups) sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 pinches salt
- 140 grams (1 ⅓ cups) vegan butter, cold
For the topping
- 1200 grams (7 ⅓ cups) plums, approximately
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough:Mix the dry yeast with one tablespoon of sugar. Add it to a large mixing bowl with the remaining sugar, flour, lukewarm plant-based milk, softened vegan butter, and salt. Knead for about 5–8 minutes until the dough is smooth. It may feel sticky at first but will eventually come together and release from the sides of the bowl. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
- Prepare the Streusel:Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold vegan butter in small pieces. Mix briefly with dough hooks, then use your hands to form crumbly streusel. Chill until needed.
- Prepare the Plums and Baking Sheet:Wash, halve, and pit the plums. Grease a baking sheet (about 42x37 cm) or line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat).
- Assemble the Cake:Knead the dough briefly and roll it out thinly to fit the baking sheet. For a classic raised edge, leave the edges slightly thicker. Arrange the halved plums in a fan shape, cut side up, slightly overlapping. Press them lightly into the dough. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top.
- Bake the Cake:Bake for 27–30 minutes until golden brown. Ensure the cake doesn’t darken too much toward the end of baking.
Notes
- Fruit: Plums should be ripe but not overripe or mushy. For very juicy fruit, sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs on the dough before adding the plums to prevent sogginess. For a more fruit-heavy cake, use up to 1.5 kg of plums. You can also substitute with sliced plums or apples.
- Plant-Based Products: Vegan butter substitutes are widely available and usually made with rapeseed, coconut, or soy oils. Margarine can be used as an alternative, but check if it is 100% vegan. Soy milk can be replaced with oat milk or similar.
- Baking Sheet: The exact dimensions aren’t critical, as the sturdy yeast dough holds its shape. Roll it out to about 40x35 cm for a larger sheet. If preferred, use a greased baking frame, though this is optional. The dough should be rolled thin, as it rises significantly in the oven.
Ingredient substitutions
About Kathrin & Jan
It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!
Kathrin & Jan
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