Authentic Zwetschgenkuchen (German Plum Cake)

Name: Authentic Zwetschgenkuchen (German Plum Cake)
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 3 + pounds Italian plums (,cut into quarters, pits removed); 3/4 to 1 cup warm milk (,start with 3/4 and add extra to the dough as needed); 1 1/2 tablespoons dry active yeast; 4 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup sugar (150 g); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 stick butter (120 g) ((1/2 cup melted but not hot)); 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract; For the Streusel:; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup butter (,at room temperature)

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While plums can be found in stores throughout the year, in celebration of plum season I want to share a traditional German plum cake with you. Depending on which region of Germany you’re in, it’s called Zwetschgenkuchen, Zwetschgendatschi, Quetschekuche or Pflaumenkuchen. I know, they’re all tongue-twisters :)

Variations exist throughout Germany where some versions are made with a shortcrust pastry versus a yeast dough, some have streusel and some do not, some are round and some are rectangular. But they all celebrate the plump, juicy, sweet European plum, also known as Italian plums.

Augsburg, a city in Bavaria northwest of Munich and one of the oldest cities in Germany, claims to have invented the original German plum cake, which they call Zwetschgendatschi. It’s the city’s signature dish. While variations exist even within Augsburg, the original version is made with shortcrust pastry and without any streusel.

The version we’re making today is my personal favorite and is typical of the area I’m from of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg. It’s made with yeast dough and sprinkled with streusel and it can be found throughout Germany.

Zwetschgenkuchen typically calls for Italian plums (aka, European plums) and they are the variety most ideal for cooking not only because of their texture but also because their flavor becomes more complex through cooking. Italian plum season is short, usually from September through early October.

This type of Zwetschgenkuchen, as with the Augsburger style plum cake, is typically made on a Backblech (a baking sheet) versus in a springform, though many round versions exist as well.

We are fortunate to have several fruit trees on our property, including three Italian plum trees. It’s amazing how much fruit one plum tree can produce, you don’t realize how much until you start picking!

Aren’t those plump purple globes simply gorgeous?

I set a lofty goal of not letting any of the plums go to waste (very lofty, but I’m determined) and in the last two weeks I’ve been busy at work processing plums in every way I’ve been able to think of. Our family is big into long-term food storage so I’ve also been doing a lot of canning. I’ve been canning plums halves, making plum butter, plum preserves, plum sauce, Chinese plum sauce, making homemade prunes (dehydrating) and freezing them. Whew! Next up I’m making plum leather.

Can you think of any other ways to put bulk quantity plums to use? I’d love to hear them!

I’ve turned it into a family effort and our 4 and 6 year old kids have been helping me cut and de-seed the plums. So far we’ve processed over 150 pounds and there’s still a lot more to come!

So if you’re ever in the neighborhood and need some plum products, you know where to come!

This is the second batch of Zwetschgenkuchen I’ve made in the past two weeks and with as many plums as we still have left, I have a feeling it won’t be the last. Over 150 pounds down and probably double that left to go, really I should just set up a plum products business ;)

Fruit- and yeast-based cakes are a German hallmark and this Zwetschgenkuchen is a perfect example. It’s not overly sweet, has a touch of tartness to it, a small hint of cinnamon, and that luscious yeast dough.

This cake holds up well the next day or two and is even more flavorful as the juices from the plums penetrate the dough.

Let’s get started!

Dissolve the yeast into the warm milk and let is sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy. (The pic below is before the frothy stage)

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and pour in the yeast mixture, melted warm (not hot) butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Give it an initial stir to combine the ingredients and then attach a dough hook and knead it on the bread setting (“2”) for 4-5 minutes.

The dough will be sticky but should hold together fairly well. It will not be firm enough to knead into a ball, think of it more as a thick batter.

Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm, draft free place to rise for an hour or until about doubled in size.

Generously butter a large jelly roll pan (at least 18 inches in length and 1 inch sides but even then the crust will be thicker than with the Backblech – see below) or, like I’m using and as pictured below, a German Backblech.

Backblechs are adjustable baking pans that are very common in Germany. They’re fantastic because you can adjust them by sliding them in and out to any length you want clear down to a smaller square. They’re really versatile. The one I have I brought with me from Germany. Virtually every sheet type of German cake calls for using a Backblech.

Here’s a similar if not the same Backbech on Amazon and it’s made in Germany.

Generously butter your Backblech or sheet pan and place the risen dough on it.

Use your hands to spread the dough out across the full length of the pan, pressing it up against the sides. It’s yeast dough so it will resist, but just keep pushing it back into position the best you can. Once you put the plums on it, those will help keep it in place.

Time for the plums!

The riper the plums the sweeter the cake will be. However, if they’re overly ripe – meaning mushy – they’ll be even mushier on the finished baked product.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pits. Then slice the plums in half again, slicing each plum into quarters.

Lay the plums close together in rows over the whole length of the dough on the sheet pan.

If you want your cake a bit sweeter you can sprinkle it *lightly* with sugar or cinnamon-sugar if you prefer more cinnamon. I emphasize “lightly” because the more sugar you add the more watery the cake will be as the sugar liquifies during baking and your streusel will also “melt” in contact with it.

Set the pan in a warm place and let it rise for up to another hour.

Next it’s time to make the streusel. Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and use your fingers to bring it all together. Work with the mixture until it’s thoroughly combined and forms a rough sand and clumpy texture.

Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden.

Let the cake sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing to let some of the liquid set.

Slice the cake into squares.

A tool that I use that’s really handy and works like a charm for sheet cakes and many other things is the OXO Multi-Purpose Scraper & Chopper. It glides right through without scratching up your pan.

Serve and enjoy!

Guten appetit!

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5 from 19 votes