Plum + Almond Streusel Cake

​I love this recipe, not only because the plums come from the of bottom of my mother’s garden. The branches have been dangling over the back wall, waving proudly their plump purple fruits that hang modestly between the green papery leaves. Perfectly placed to catch just enough sunlight to sweeten their flesh and just enough protection from the elements. But also, this recipe is a firm favourite because it reminds me of cosy afternoons with hot tea and a slice of wholesome golden brown cake with a snowy dusting of icing sugar. The idyllic wintery scene is much in contrast with the blazing sunny conditions we're having this late summer. Nevertheless, it goes pretty well with an iced tea too while lounging in the sun. 
 
I also love this recipe because you can always mix it up with different seasonal fruits. Pears + apples for a cosy autumnal cake. Peaches in the summer. Pink rhubarb in early spring. I'm currently still getting through the glut of plums from my mums and neighbours garden's, but as you can see the fruit options are endless. 
 
There're a few stages to this one which makes it perfect for baking on a slow Sunday to enjoy after dinner. The crumble is the perfect sensory experience if little helpers want to get involved too. 
 
Lovely moist Bakewell reminiscent sponge, with a crumbly not too sweet streusel topping and juicy jewels of fruit sandwiched somewhere in between. The plums have been coated in their own sweet almondy mix so they create a squidgy jammy heaven when baked. 
 
A few notes on the ingredients - 
You can use just marg but Trex, a vegetable fat, vegan friendly lard, will always give you a crumblier more shortbread like crumb. 
 
You could experiment with all kinds of fruit here, I’m holding out for apples - absolutely everywhere at the minute. Peaches would work perfectly too. Be careful what fruit you go for, berries for example contain a lot of moisture so wouldn't work with the liquid content in this recipe. Always use ripe or slightly overripe fruit so it's at its sweetest. 
 
Happy baking + eating!! 
 
Plum + Almond Streusel Cake
 
SPONGE
170g self raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100 unrefined golden caster sugar
50g ground Almonds
 
1/2 tsp Almond extract
A Squeeze of lemon juice
75ml oil
165ml milk
 
STRUESEL TOPPING
70g plain flour
30 unrefined golden caster sugar
10g Trex
25g vegan margarine
 
PLUMS
3 small ripe plums cut into 8 equal wedges
1 tbsp unrefined golden caster sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
 
RECIPE 
1.Grease a 6" baking tin well and set aside
2.Preheat oven to 150 degrees
3.Mix the plum wedges well with sugar and almond mix, set aside. 
4.Whisk dry streusel ingredients in a bowl. Dollop in the marg and Trex in small pieces with a teaspoon. 
5.Very lightly with your fingertips only, rub the fat into the flour and sugar. First a dry sandy textured mixture will form, gradually it will resemble wet sand. Mix until you have a collection of big and small clumps. Set aside
6.Whisk dry cake ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry, whisking until you have a smoothish batter. 
7.Pour the batter into the baking tin. Lie the plums on top in one even layer - if you have too many plums leave them out. 
8.Sprinkle the streusel crumble mix on top
9.Bake in the middle of the oven for around 40-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean (there will probably be some jammy mix from the plums but there shouldn't be any cake batter) 
10.Leave to cool a little in the tin, then turn out and slice. Enjoy warm as it is or with lashings of vegan cream/custard/vanilla ice cream! 
 
Enjoy x