This gluten-free plum cake is crumbly, filled with fresh, ripe plums, and looks gorgeous topped with streusel and fresh whipped cream. This is my take on a gluten-free german plum cake.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
This is a plum cake. Now, the traditional plum cake is made with a springform pan, but here’s the thing: I don’t have a springform pan. And the more I was thinking about it, I don’t think a lot of people have one unless they’re a serious baker. It's very similar to an upside-down cake.
I want my recipes to be accessible and easy to make so I modified the recipe. So this is a non-traditional plum cake because it’s not made with a springform pan, but I think it’s absolutely delicious, and I think you will too! Plus, it's so easy!
This gluten-free plum cake is inspired by my chocolate-covered pineapple bites and my gluten-free pear crumble.
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Ingredients
- Plums: a must for this gluten-free plum cake recipe. These stone fruits are delicious!
- Butter: unsalted and softened for the cake. Cold and cubed for the streusel.
- Brown sugar: makes the streusel delicious.
- Eggs
- Almond flour: soaks up some of the excess moisture from the plums.
- Granulated sugar
- Gluten-free flour: I use Cup4Cup or King Arthur's Gluten-Free flour in this recipe.
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Baking Powder: helps the cake rise.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9-inch cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Slice the plums in half, remove the pits, and slice them into wedges. Layer on the bottom of the cake tin. Sprinkle the almond flour evenly over the plums. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, make the Streusel. Combine cold butter, brown sugar, gluten-free flour, and almond flour. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the mixture into small pebbles.
Sprinkle the Streusel evenly over the top of the plums.
In a large bowl, make the cake batter. Cream the softened butter and add the eggs and sugar.
Add in the baking powder, salt, and gluten-free flour. Mix the dry ingredients in until combined. The batter will be sticky and thick.
Use a spoon to dot the cake batter over the plum/almond flour/Streusel layer. It will be sticky and hard to spread. Do your best to spread the batter evenly.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely, then flip over on a wire rack and peel the parchment off.
Top with more sliced plums and whipped cream if desired.
Hint: it can be helpful to grease a spatula with butter or cooking oil and use that to press and spread the cake batter over the Streusel/plum/almond flour mixture.
How to put this cake together
First, layer the plum wedges on the bottom of the cake pan. Top with almond flour to soak up the extra fruit juices. Sprinkle the Streusel on top. Finally, spread the cake batter over the top and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
What Flour Makes This Cake Gluten Free?
I use King Arthur's Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe. The almond flour in this gluten-free plum cake recipe is also gluten-free.
Streusel vs. Crumble
This recipe calls for an American streusel topping. There is a difference in the textures of German Streusels and American Streusels. I am choosing to make my recipe with American Streusel because that's what I grew up eating. My grandma was part German and made the American version of Streusel. To read more about German and American streusel, click here.
Substitutions
- Almond flour - instead of pre-made almond flour, you can use ground almonds that you grind yourself into almond meal.
- Vanilla extract - use almond extract or omit it completely.
Variations
- Maple Syrup - add 1 teaspoon maple syrup to the Streusel before baking for a nutty taste.
- Coconut - add shredded coconut to the Streusel before baking for gluten-free coconut plum cake.
- Almond extract - add 1 teaspoon almond extract to the batter for a plum and almond cake recipe. A plum and almond cake would be delicious, too!
See this gluten-free cherry cake recipe on my website!
Equipment
Storage and freezing
Store plum cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Freeze for up to three months. Let the cake sit overnight at room temperature to thaw.
Top tip
Don't be afraid of the Streusel! This is a crumbly cake. It's similar to a scone texture. Top with fresh whipped cream and sliced plums.
Easy Gluten-Free Upside Down Plum Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch cake pan
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 plums sliced and pitted
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Streusel
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup gluten-free flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9-inch cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Slice the plums in half, remove the pits, and slice them into wedges. Layer on the bottom of the cake tin. Sprinkle the almond flour evenly over the plums. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, make the streusel. Combine cold butter, brown sugar, gluten-free flour, and almond flour. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the mixture into small pebbles.
- Sprinkle the struesel evenly over the top of the plums.
- In a large bowl, make the cake batter. Cream the softened butter and add the eggs and sugar.
- Add in the baking powder, salt, and gluten-free flour. Mix the dry ingredients in until combined. The batter will be sticky and thick.
- Use a spoon to dot the cake batter over the plum/almond flour/crumble layer. It will be sticky and hard to spread. Do your best to spread the batter evenly.
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely, then flip over on a wire rack and peel the parchment off.
- Top with more sliced plums and whipped cream if desired.
Notes
FAQ
No, you don't have to peel the plums before baking them in this gluten-free plum cake recipe.
Coconut oil is not a good substitute in this recipe.
This recipe for plum cake is not paleo.
I haven't tested this recipe with regular all-purpose flour, so I can't recommend making this recipe with non-gluten-free flour.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
Georgina Baiies says
It was fabulous
Thank you.
Love your recipes
Ox G