This week was Sue’s birthday. Born on the Fourth of July, she was teased as “Martha Washington” by her dad, a joke that stuck longer than it should have. She spent the weekend in town doing cooking demonstrations at the Calgary Co-op Kitchen Theatre during the Stampede, and after two back-to-back shows we gathered for an impromptu birthday dinner. That morning I baked a cake.

My choice of cake was guided by time, temperature, and season. There wasn’t time for frosting or decorating, the heat would have melted any buttercream, and a summery cake needed fruit. A few plums in the bowl suggested a plum crumb cake: a thin cakey base to hold the fruit, topped with large buttery crumbs.

One of the five plums I sliced turned out to be disappointing, so I tucked raspberries into the gap. The pairing felt almost intentional—the sweet-tart blend of plums and raspberries is lovely together. That flexibility is one of the cake’s strengths: it works with any fruit you have on hand. Peaches, berries, apples, pears—use what’s ripe, what’s best, or what needs using up. The cake effortlessly elevates even slightly tired fruit into something delicious.

The cake’s ease is part of its appeal: a simple batter, fruit arranged on top, and a generous crumble topping. It bakes into a rustic, homey dessert that’s as at home on a weekday table as it is at a celebration. The only downside that day was having to crank up the oven in sweltering weather, but the reward—a fragrant, summery cake—was worth it.

We ate the cake on the back porch, warm and crumbly on our laps, enjoying the summer evening. It’s the kind of dessert that celebrates the season and the company around the table—simple, forgiving, and completely satisfying. Happy summering!