German Plum Cake - Pflaumenkuchen Recipe
Pflaumenkuchen, also known as Zwetschgendatschior is a wildly popular plum cake dessert in Germany. The yeasted dough bakes into something reminiscent of shortcake. The plums impart tart and sweet flavors as the fruit's juices flow into the cake as it bakes.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 1/2 teapoons Lesaffre instant yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 4 oz. butter
- 3 lbs. of ripe plums
- 5 tablespoons Waffle Pantry Belgian pearl sugar
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
- Heat up milk and butter until fully dissolved. Allow enough time for the milk and butter to come to lukewarm temperature before adding yeast. When both are mixed well, combine the two bowls of ingredients.
- Being to work the mixture until dough is formed. Cover and allow to rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
- Wash, pit and cut up plums. Halve the plums if they are small, or quarter them if the plums are large.
- Knead the dough and roll it out. Place the dough onto a round baking tray/cake tin. Place plums on dough and press gently into the dough.
- Preheat oven to 300° F. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Look for the edge of the cake to turn golden brown and the plums to soften and give off juices. Tip: Broil for an additional 3 minutes at 350° F to fully caramelize pearl sugar.
- Allow to cool before serving. You can line up the plums in neat rows or place them randomly over the dough. Both make for beautiful plating and serving. A scoop of ice cream takes a slice of the plum cake over the top. Enjoy and happy baking!