This easy German plum cake - Zwetschgenkuchen - is a soft yeast dough topped with juicy plums and buttery streusel. It's a classic late-summer dessert that's simple to make but tastes like it came straight from a German bakery.
Every late summer, when plums are perfectly ripe, I bake this easy German plum cake -Zwetschgenkuchen, as it's called in Germany. It's made with a soft yeast dough, sweet-tart plums, and a buttery streusel topping that turns golden and crisp in the oven.
Try more German cakes such as German Apple Cream Cake, German Torte with Lemon and Buttermilk, or a savory German Onion Cake - Zwiebelkuchen.
Ingredients: 8 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 20 pieces | Difficulty: Medium
Recipe ingredients
Italian plums (prune plums): Zwetschgen are the small, oval European plums often sold in the U.S. as Italian or prune plums. They're ideal for baking because their firm flesh holds its shape and their sweet-tart flavor intensifies in the oven.
- You can also use them to make Plum Bread, Easy Puff Pastry Plum Tarts, or Tender Plum Muffins.
For the dough and streusel: All-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, milk, egg, butter, and cinnamon.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make German plum cake?
Step #1: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Warm the milk gently, then stir in the butter and yeast until melted. Add the milk mixture and the beaten egg to the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead with a mixer or by hand until smooth and elastic.
Step #2: Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Tip: The milk should be just warm to the touch (around 95-100ยฐF / 35-37ยฐC); hotter liquid can kill the yeast.
Step #3: Make the streusel: Combine flour, sugar, and cold butter in a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate until needed.
Step #4: While the dough rises, wash, dry, and prepare the plums.
Tip: If you prefer, mix the streusel by hand or use melted butter and brown sugar for a richer flavor - add a touch of lemon zest or vanilla for variety.
Step #5: Pit the plums. Slice each one along the natural seam from top to bottom and open it like a book, leaving the halves attached on one side.
Step #6: Roll the risen dough to fit your tray, place it, and gently press to fit. Arrange the plums on top.
Step #7: Sprinkle the sprinkles on top of the German plum cake.
Step #8: Bake at 350ยฐF (175ยฐC) for 30-35 minutes until the streusel is golden. Let cool about 20 minutes before slicing.
Yeast tips
Fresh yeast is ideal, but active or instant dry yeast works well too. Dough with fresh yeast rises in about 30-40 minutes, while dry yeast usually takes 1-1ยผ hours.
Watch for the dough to double in size - underโrising makes a flat cake, overโrising can cause it to collapse. For this recipe, use ยฝ cube (0.7 oz/ 21 g) fresh yeast or 1 sachet (0.25 oz/ 7 g) active dry yeast.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes a large batch. However, you can easily halve the ingredients and bake the plum cake in a smaller tin or a springform with a diameter of about 10 inches/ 26 cm.
Try nectarines, fresh or canned peaches, or apricots. Cherries (either fresh or canned) are perfect as well. You can also use apples, pears, or a mixture of the two.
If you happen to have some leftover fruit, chop and mix everything and use that instead.
Check out this delicious Red Currant Cake as well, a twist on the classic German fruit yeast cake. Or make the German Apple Crumble Cake.
How to serve plum cake?
Yeast cakes are always best served the day they are baked. However, leftovers are still delicious the next day, but they are less fluffy.
Serve the German plum cake as it is, or sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar.
Traditionally, you would serve it at room temperature with homemade whipped cream. Lukewarm is delicious as well. In this case, serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is just heaven.
How to store it?
The German plum cake keeps well for 3-4 days.
Room temperature: keep for one day covered with a clean towel.
Refrigerate it after the second day in airtight containers.
Freeze: Once completely cool, cut the plum cake into squares. Place in airtight containers or wrap well in foil and refrigerate for 3-4 months.
Defrost the German plum cake on the counter. Once at room temperature, you can serve it directly or refresh it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/ 175ยฐC. Place the pieces on a lined baking tray and reheat for 5 to 10 minutes.
German Plum Cake (Zwetschgenkuchen)
Equipment
- Electric mixer or stand mixer with dough hooks
- Baking sheet 12x16 inches/ 30x40 cm
- Small pan
Ingredients
Yeast dough (Note 1):
- 2ยพ cups all-purpose flour 12.5 oz
- ยผ cup granulated sugar
- ยผ teaspoon fine salt
- โ cup milk
- 1 sachet active dry yeast 0.25 oz/ 7 g, Note 2
- ยผ cup unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
Streusel:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 9 oz
- ยฝ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- โ cup unsalted butter
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
- 2 lbs Italian plums more or less as needed to cover the cake
Instructions
Yeast dough:
- Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. 2ยพ cups all-purpose flour + ยผ cup granulated sugar/ 1.7 oz/ ยผ cup + ยผ teaspoon fine salt
- Heat the milk gently in a small saucepan (36 degrees Celsius/ 96 degrees Fahrenheit, so body temperature).โ cup milk
- Combine: Add butter and yeast to the milk and stir until the butter has melted. Pour the milk mixture and the lightly beaten egg into the flour mixture.ยผ cup unsalted butter + 1 sachet active dry yeast + 1 large egg
- Knead the dough with the hand-held mixer fitted with dough hooks or a stand mixer with a dough hook. Knead as long as possible to combine everything well together. Then, turn the mixture onto the working surface and knead the dough with your hand for a couple of minutes.
- Let rise: Form a ball, place it back in the bowl, cover it with a clean cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place. The dough will need about an hour until about doubled in size.
Streusel:
- Mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon in the food processor. Add the very cold butter, cut into cubes, and process shortly until the streusel forms. Refrigerate until needed (Note 3).2 cups all-purpose flour + ยฝ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar + ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon + โ cup unsalted butter
Plums:
- Remove the stones from the plums while the yeast dough is rising. Don't cut the plums all the way through; they should remain attached on one side.2 lbs Italian plums
Assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF/200ยฐC. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the yeast dough with a rolling pin to match the size of the tray. Carefully place the dough on the tray and stretch and press with your fingers until everything fits.
- Arrange the stoned plums on top. Sprinkle with the streusel.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Let rest for about 20 minutes before slicing it and serve as suggested above.
Notes
- Measurements: I strongly recommend using a digital kitchen scale for this recipe and in baking in general; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
- Yeast: If using fresh yeast, you will need 0.7 oz/ 21 g of it. The dough will probably rise quicker in this case, so check after 30-40 minutes already and proceed with the recipe if the dough has doubled in size.
- Streusel without a food processor: Mix flour, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and cut the butter into the flour (with a butter knife) until you obtain streusel. If doing this with your hands, only use your fingertips; the butter will get warm too quickly if you use your palms.
May says
It worked great, we loved it! Thanks, this one is a keeper.
Marion says
I was wondering if this cake can be frozen? Since it's just my husband and me it will be a but much to eat within a few days.
Adina says
Hi Marion. You can freeze it for sure.
Lynne Roe says
Disappointed! Too much streusel , too dry , and did take longer to cook.
Turned down the temperature nearing the end too. Edges burned !
Perhaps used the wrong plums , too hard !
But I tried !
Sister Su says
@Lynne Roe, you may have used plums that were not quite ripe yet. In US stores, most of the plums for sale are hard and not ripe. They are picked early, to allow for shipping without bruising them. We need to purchase plums and allow them to ripen at home, until they are soft and juicier.
If you did not buy the Italian type, most other varieties become more juicy when they are ripe. If you buy plums at a farmers market or directly from the orchard, they are only available for a short time, but are much more likely to actually be ripe. Were your plums soft enough for enjoyable fresh eating? If not, they werenโt yet ready for baking.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Every year that we are in Germany, I make sure to order Pflaumenkuchen. I didn't realize that it was made with a yeast dough.
Isabella says
Thank you, for this authentic version!
Adina says
You're welcome. My mother-in-law's/grandma-in-law's recipe. ๐
Alina says
It looks so yummy! I love the step-by-step instructions, making it an easy recipe to follow!
Adina says
Thank you, Alina.
Olga says
It looks awesome! So much flavors packed on this recipe that makes this simply irresistible, definitely having this on my table!
Adina says
Thank you, Olga. I think you would like it! ๐
Alyssa says
Adina, what a gorgeous cake! Your directions make this seem like such an easy approach, too. I would love to make this soon!
grace says
i'm fascinated by the yeasted dough base--what a great added flavor and texture in contrast to a regular ol' shortbread!
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Such a lovely cake! Plum cakes are definitely one of my favorites for fall - reminds me of my grandmother's Hungarian plum cake ๐
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
I have never seen with fresh yeast, but I can probably find it if I look hard enough. This plum cake looks delicious, Adina! I'm loving the sound of the sour plum contrasting with the sweet streusel. ?
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This cake looks so great. I find it interesting that the bottom layer is a yeast dough. This is a different way of making a cake. I'll need to give it a try.