Zwetschgenkuchen
Ingredients
- Dough: 350 g flour, 2 tsp instant yeast, 125 ml warm milk, 40 g sugar, 1 egg, 150 g butter, zest of 1 lemon, pinch of salt
- About 1 kg Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
- Streusel (optional): flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon
- cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling
Known by several regional names — Zwetschgenkuchen, Zwetschgendatschi, Pflaumenkuchen — this German plum cake is a yeasted base topped with halved European (Italian prune) plums, arranged overlapping like roof tiles, and often finished with a scattering of cinnamon-spiced streusel. It's a late-summer staple, timed to the short prune-plum season.
Method
Warm the milk, stir in the yeast and sugar, and let it foam for about 10 minutes.
Combine the flour, lemon zest and salt, then mix in the yeast mixture, egg and butter; knead into a smooth dough, about 10 minutes.
Proof in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
Press the dough into a lined sheet pan or tart tin.
Arrange the plum halves closely, cut-side up and overlapping like roof tiles, across the dough.
If using streusel, rub together flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon into crumbs and scatter over the plums; otherwise sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at around 190°C (375°F) for 30-35 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the plums have softened and released their juices.
