Plum Coffee Cake

It's that time of year again.  The dreaded end of summer - goodbye to the easygoing, laid back, whatever goes, kind of attitude. Goodbye to fabulously sweet local corn from our favorite purveyor in Chestnut Ridge, NY.  Goodbye to no jacket or sweater needed. 


But lest you think this is going to be one downer of a post...Hello, Italian Prune Plums! These delicious little plums herald the changing of the guard from summer to fall and they appeared last weekend at our local farm stand - I scooped up a container and raced home. I could always make my September stand by, Freida's Viennese Plum Cake, but I was craving something more coffee-cake-y. 

I found the perfect recipe on-line (where else?) in a Times-Picayune article from 2007, titled Plum Cake with Crumb Topping (Pflaumenkuchen mit streusel).  I am a sucker for anything "mit streusel." 


It couldn't be easier and it's got a great batter that you work with your hands. After refrigerating the dough for one hour, you are ready to add the plums, the streusel, pop it into the oven, and you're 30-40 minutes from warm, moist, luscious plum cake (put the coffee on!). It keeps very well covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about one week.


I know you'll be breaking out the grill this weekend for the Labor Day festivities; try adding this recipe in for your dessert course. If summer has to go, at least the transition to fall can be delicious.

Print Recipe Here


As a side note, I'm off to Chicago this weekend and I'm sure I'll have some fabulous food and restaurant reports for you when I return. I've got reservations at Cafe Spiaggia and The Publican, and now I've just got to score a table to Frontera Grill - wish me luck!