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German plum cake slice
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German Plum Cake

An easy German Plum Cake known as Pflaumenkuchen or Zwetschgenkuchen. A sheet pan cake made with sliced plums over a sweet yeast dough base. A rustic European dessert perfect for summer plums.
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword German Plum Cake, Pflaumenkuchen, plum pie, Zwetschgenkuchen
Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Equipment

  • baking sheet 12"x17"

Ingredients

Sweet Yeast Dough

  • 1 ⅓ cups milk lukewarm
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 8 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups flour plus extra for kneading
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil

Plum Cake Topping

  • 3 ½ lbs (1½ kg) Prune Plums
  • white sugar for sprinkling

Serving

  • whipped cream

Instructions

Sweet Yeast Dough

  • Pour yeast, ½ of the lukewarm milk and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in ½ cup of flour. Allow to sit for 15 minutes in a warm place until it starts to bubble and foam, then the yeast is activated.
  • In a smaller bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 7 tablespoons sugar, 5 tablespoons of melted butter. Whisk in remaining milk. Add milky mixture into the bowl of activated yeast.
  • Slowly add the remaining flour, mixing until it forms a dough ball.  Knead on a floured surface, adding more flour if needed, for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  • Place dough into bowl, cover with cling wrap. Keep in a warm place until it rises, about 1 ½ hours. Punch down dough, gently knead and it's ready to use.

Making Plum Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C (fan forced). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Wash the plums. Cut in quarters, removing the stone.
  • Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, into the shape of the baking tray. Roll it out to about ¼" thick (½ cm) and place on parchment paper. Entire baking sheet should be covered with dough.
  • Tightly layer the plums, slightly overlapping with each other to minimise gaps.
  • Place in oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until dough edges start to turn golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool. Sprinkle with sugar.
  • Best served warm with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.