The Daring Gourmet

Grappling Each Dish By The Horns

Sign up for our newsletter!
No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop

Home Ā» Food Ā» Authentic Zwetschgenkuchen (German Plum Cake)

Authentic Zwetschgenkuchen (German Plum Cake)

September 8, 2016 by Kimberly Killebrew Ā· 244 Comments

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure policy.

8279 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

plum-cake-6-final-2

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. Ā Depending on which region of Germany you’re in, it’s called Zwetschgenkuchen, Zwetschgendatschi, Quetschekuche or Pflaumenkuchen. Ā 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. Ā 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. Ā It’s the city’s signature dish. Ā While variations exist even within Augsburg, the original version is made with shortcrust pastry and without any streusel.

1

2

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

Zwetschgenkuchen typicallyĀ 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. Ā 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.

plum-cake-7

We are fortunate to have several fruit trees on our property, including three ItalianĀ plum trees. Ā 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?

plum-cake-prep-3Ā plum-cake-prep-16

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. Ā 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.Ā  Whew! Ā Next up I’m making plum leather.

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

I’ve turned it into a family effortĀ and our 4 and 6 year old kids have been helping me cut and de-seed the plums. Ā 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!

plum-cake-prep-5

plum-cake-prep-6

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. Ā 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. Ā 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.

plum-cake-5-edited

Let’s get started!

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

plum-cake-prep-25

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. Ā 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.

plum-cake-prep-27

The dough will be sticky but should hold together fairly well. Ā 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.

plum-cake-prep-10Ā plum-cake-prep-29

Generously butter a large jelly roll panĀ (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. Ā 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. Ā They’re really versatile. Ā The one I have I brought with me from Germany. Ā Virtually every sheet type of German cake calls for using a Backblech.

plum-cake-prep-30

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

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

plum-cake-prep-31

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

plum-cake-prep-33

Time for the plums!

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

plum-cake-prep-7

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

plum-cake-prep-9

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. Ā 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.

plum-cake-prep-21

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

plum-cake-prep-19 plum-cake-prep-20

Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cake.

plum-cake-prep-23-edited

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.

plum-cake-1-edited

Slice the cake into squares.

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

plum-cake-3-edited

Serve and enjoy!

Guten appetit!

plum-cake-4-final

Authentic Zwetschgenkuchen (German Plum Cake)

Kimberly Killebrew
From the southern region of Swabia, this popular German plum cake features a delicious yeast crust and butter streusel topping!
Print Recipe
4.72 from 71 votes
Prep Time 2 hrs
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Servings 12 servings
Calories 391 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 + pounds Italian plums ,cut into quarters, pits removed
  • 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
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter (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

Instructions
 

  • Dissolve the yeast into the 3/4 cup warm milk and let is sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
  • 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, adding the remaining 1/4 cup milk as necessary. (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 German Backblech extended to full length or 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).
  • 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.) 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.
  • 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 and serve.

Notes

*This cake holds up well for a day or two and is even more flavorful once the juices have absorbed into the dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2.6mg
Keyword German Plum Cake, Pflaumenkuchen, Plum Cake, Zwetschgenkuchen
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet


8279 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

244 Comments →

« Aneto: The World’s Most Exceptional Broth
Plum Butter (Pflaumenmus) »

244 Responses

  1. Anonymous says

    September 24, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    Thank you so much , takes me back ā¤ļøHave 2 sheets ready to bake

    Reply
  2. luisa says

    September 19, 2021 at 12:31 am

    Hi Julie, I live in Dublin, Ireland and I am used to metric measures unfortunately.I have tried to click on the Metric button on yr recipe but it’s missing bits and pieces , see how much milk etc. would you please post the ingredients list in grams and liters? I tried the conversion myself other times but cups of liquid are different from cups of dry ingredients and depending on the type of liquid and solid ingredient u use (i.e. butter rather than flour)and it turned out a mess.I really love your recipe.If I was around, I’d come help with collecting your beautiful plums, they look like jewels!thank you for your help.luisa

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 19, 2021 at 6:15 pm

      Hi Luisa, I’ve added those conversions and they should all be showing now when you click on the “Metric” button. For the milk it’s 237ml but start with more like 177ml and add more as needed. Happy baking!

      Reply
  3. Maria says

    September 18, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Kimberly! Thank you soooo much for this fantastic recipe! And, all the others you share. Iam from Bad Reichenhall,Bavaria. My Mama would make this every fall, and we would patiently wait for it to come out of the oven. Your recipe sounds like the one Mama used to make. Well I have 2 pans waiting to rise and go into the oven. Followed the recipe to a “T”, but I added alittle lemon zest and juice mixed in with the sliced plums (couldn’t help myself; just love lemon). Looks perfect; 1/2 an hour more for the final rise, then into the oven they go. Thank you again. šŸ¤—šŸ˜€

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 19, 2021 at 6:22 pm

      Wonderful, Maria! Eating a slice of this cake is so nostalgic for me and takes me right back home – at least in my heart :)

      Reply
  4. Julie says

    September 8, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    I love this recipe. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 9, 2021 at 8:08 pm

      Thank you so much, Julie, I’m happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Trudy Maynard says

    September 7, 2021 at 11:28 am

    Hello Kim,
    I’m German, living in Canada. Have been baking Zwetschgenkuchen for over 50 years, and love the recipe of your yeast dough best. It’s richer and sweeter with less flour than the original recipe my Oma used.
    Could you please provide the measurements of your baking pan. The length is 18 inches, but what is the with?
    Thank You!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 8, 2021 at 1:28 pm

      Thank you so much, Trudy! Mine is nearly 15 inches wide. But you can make the cake thicker or thinner depending on your personal preferences.

      Reply
  6. Paneli says

    August 27, 2021 at 4:50 am

    Like this recepie. Perfect for sunday cake.

    Reply
  7. Gwenyth says

    August 23, 2021 at 9:29 am

    Hi Kimberly;
    I have not made this recipe yet but was on the hunt for it as I ate it as a teen when my sister-in-law’s Oma used to made it. OH MY, delicious. I have about 10Lbs of plums. NOT quite the scale you have, thankfully. Question for this recipe, would the dough and fruit hold up to freezing after it was baked? I realize everything is better fresh but would like to use the plums before they are too ripe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 1, 2021 at 7:38 pm

      Hi Gwenyth, I have not tried freezing this cake but I’ve had a couple of readers report that they’ve had success freezing it. Happy baking!

      Reply
    • Judy Davey says

      September 9, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      Yes this freezes very well my mom and oma made so much of it and froze it so it lasted longer, just let it thawon the counter. After freezing it has a littlemor juice bust taste is the same, a favorite in my household

      Reply
  8. Maria Caputo says

    August 22, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    I will start by saying I only changed one thing about this recipe.
    I made it gluten free.
    Since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, I have been doing my best to make gluten free versions of her favourite treats.
    We have had many failures, but this was not one of them!
    I used Cup 4 Cup all purpose flour blend and it came out great!
    I had to cover it half way through the baking time; as gluten free flour tends to brown a bit faster, and I didn’t want it to become too dark.
    I took a chance on this recipe because the photo looked exactly like the cake we used to buy from our local German Bakery, so glad I decided to try it because the taste is exactly the same!
    I will be making this every year during plum season.
    Thank you for this amazing recipe!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      August 22, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      That’s wonderful, Maria, I’m so glad you were able to successfully convert this to GF and that it was a hit – thanks so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  9. Doris says

    August 17, 2021 at 7:58 am

    Had a recipe for open plum cake that did not call for yeast and misplaced it. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  10. Laura says

    July 21, 2021 at 1:31 pm

    Wondering if I can use small yellow plums in this recipe?

    Reply
  11. Alaska Maid says

    July 11, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    This is an amazing treat. My mom used to make this when we were kids. My hubby & I prepared it together. It is delicious. Just like mom made. I also enjoyed learning the history. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      July 11, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      Thank you, Alaska Maid, I’m so glad you you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  12. Geta says

    July 2, 2021 at 11:26 am

    WOW, i just baked this, it is absolutely amazing recipe, I only reduce sugar by 1/4 cup personal preference, I follow the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. One of the best recipes , thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      July 2, 2021 at 8:20 pm

      I’m so glad, Geta, thank you very much!

      Reply
  13. Barbara Miralles says

    June 29, 2021 at 10:25 am

    Hi Julie,

    I am looking for a recipe made by a bakery in town when we were kids. It was a bread recipe, light, fluffy, and buttery. It was made in a jelly roll pan, raised and then topped by a slightly sweet streusel. The dough itself was twisted in the pan and all twists butted up to each other and was maybe about 2.5 inches high. To eat this warm in the morning was such a delicious treat. The bakery is long gone unfortunately. Any idea what recipe this may have been? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 29, 2021 at 6:41 pm

      Hi Barbara, do an online search for “Streusel Hefezopf” and look at the images. Does that look anything like what you’re describing?

      Reply
  14. dayle says

    February 18, 2021 at 8:40 am

    Thank you for posting this! My German Gram came from a family of professional bakers. Lucky for us, she lived with us. She was an early riser and baked very early in the day. Countless times we would wake up to the smell of something delicious in the oven. Plum cake was my favorite. In the summer when peaches were at their best, she would make a peach version. Plum cake (which is what we called it) is still my favorite.
    For a cheaters version, a box of hot roll mix can be used for the base. Not as good as the original, but if you’re feeling lazy, it works well.

    Reply
  15. Karen Law says

    November 17, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    Hello! I would like to try to make this for the holidays, but I missed plum season. Would plum jam work as a substitute?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 17, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      Hi Karen, with just a layer of jam the cake will be quite dry, but from a flavor standpoint it would taste good.

      Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Add your Response Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!Ā  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.Ā  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Sign up for our newsletter!

Receive the latest from The Daring Gourmet!

No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • About
  • Request
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2022 Ā· The Daring Gourmet Ā· All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop