Zwetschgenkuchen (German plum cake)

Zwetschgenkuchen (German plum cake)

This is a recipe for Zwetchgenkuchen, a plum cake baked in Germany and Austria. What can you expect? A fruity sheet cake richly topped with streusel! Poppy seeds and a pinch of cinnamon add a flavorful hint.

Course Sweet Pastry

Cuisine Austrian, German

Keyword Fruit cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 279kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup sunflower oil (or canola)
1 cup lukewarm milk
3 eggs

Plum layer:

1 ½ pounds fresh plums Italian style, halved and pitted
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 Tablespoons ground poppy seed

Streusel topping:

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ stick unsalted butter

Misc.:

1 Tablespoon butter to grease baking dish
2 Tablespoons sifted breadcrumbs or flour to dust baking dish

Cups - Metric

Instructions

BEFORE BAKING: Turn the oven on to 350 °F. Grease a baking dish with 1 Tablespoon butter and dust with 2 Tablespoons sifted breadcrumbs or flour..
Combine 3 cups all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder in a bowl. Add 1 cup lukewarm milk, ½ cup sunflower oil, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Crack 3 eggs into the bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the mixture until you have a smooth, pourable batter.
Pour the batter onto the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Now, top the batter with 1 ½ pounds fresh plums, placing them cut side up. Lightly dust the plums with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 Tablespoons ground poppy seed.
In a bowl, combine ¾ stick unsalted butter, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ cup granulated sugar to make the streusel topping. Spread the crumbles over the cake.
Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Notes

SERVING: Remove the baked cake from the oven and allow to cool. Cut into approximately 3x3 inch (8x8 cm) slices and serve on a dessert plate.
Always place the plums on the batter with the cut side up. This keeps the juices from soaking into the batter and makes the cake look spectacular. The plums create beautiful curves or waves, adding an appealing visual touch.
I grind my poppy seeds in an electric coffee grinder in just the amount I need. That way, I always have fresh poppy seeds on hand.
Europeans typically bake classic cakes on a rectangular baking sheet, and the finished cake is then cut into slices. For this plum cake, I used a rectangular baking pan measuring 17x12 inches (42x30 cm).

Nutrition