Easy German Plum Cake with Streusel
Try this pie alternative! This easy German plum cake is actually a yeasted "cake" base, layered with plums and streusel. It's not super sweet, as it relies mainly on the plums as the star. You can also use other seasonal fruit!
Makes 9 Slices - double the recipe for more.
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Ingredients
Dough Base
- 700 g Italian or Sugar Prune Plums (About 1.5 lbs) Washed, pitted and quartered
- 250 g Flour
- 35 g Sugar
- 1 tsp Yeast Active Dry or Instant
- 150 ml Milk Warm
- 50 g Butter Softened
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Pinch Salt
Streueusel
- 40 g Butter Softened
- 40 g Sugar
- 75 g Flour
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Optional
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Optional
Instructions
Make the Dough Base
- Mix all of the dough ingredients (except the plums) in a medium bowl until well-combined.If you're not sure if your yeast is active, proof it first in a bit of the milk beforehand, then add it to the rest of the dough ingredients.250 g Flour, 35 g Sugar, 1 tsp Yeast, 150 ml Milk, 50 g Butter, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, Pinch Salt
- Tip the dough onto a clean surface and knead for just a couple minutes until somewhat smooth.We just want everything well-combined, not to develop a lot of gluten.
- Cover and rest until doubled in size, about an hour.
Make the Streusel
- Mix all of the streusel ingredients together in a small bowl until crumbs form, and stick together when squeezed. Refrigerate until needed.Use your hands to squeeze the crumbs together into larger clumps. Then use your fingertips to separate the lumps into smaller lumps for more variety.40 g Butter, 40 g Sugar, 75 g Flour, 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp Vanilla
Roll Out and Bake
- Prepare a 9x12-inch (~23 x 30.5-cm) baking sheet. You don't need to butter it, but you can line with parchment, if preferred.
- Punch the dough down and roll out to the size of your baking sheet. You can use your hands to stretch and push the dough into place as well.
- Layer the plums on top right next to each other so the entire surface is covered in plums with minimal gaps.You can slightly overlap them as well, for better coverage.
- Cover and allow to rest for 30-45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit (176 Celsius).
- After resting, sprinkle the entire surface with the cold streusel. It should be well-covered.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the edges of the dough begin to slightly brown.
- Cool for about 5-10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool more. Slice and eat warm or at room temperature. Serve with whipped cream!
Notes
- Other Fruits: If you can't find the right plums, I'd recommend a different low-moisture fruit, such as pie apples (e.g. Granny Smith), some peaches, pears or pie cherries. Standard American plums contain too much moisture and will make the cake very soggy.
- Vegan Alternative: You can use plant-based milk and butter for both the base and streusel. The streusel may not be as crispy, but should be close. (I have not made this particular recipe with either.)
- Use Vanilla Sugar: I love incorporating vanilla sugar into the dough and streusel for more vanilla flavor. I substitute a small portion of regular sugar for this.