This vintage classic cake recipe for German plum cake draws inspiration from the New York Times recipe for plum torte published in the 1980s.
German plum cake, known as zwetschgenkuchen or pflaumenkuchen, is a ‘cake’ that is topped with fresh plums and a crumbly streusel topping.
There are many versions of plum cake. Some are made with a yeasted dough while others with shortcrust pastry or cake batter.
My take on German plum cake begins with a plum torte recipe by Marian Burros – a vintage classic recipe that has been coveted for decades. Her recipe was first published in the New York Times in 1983 and re-published each plum season for several years to follow.
Burros stated, when the Times decided to print the recipe for the last time, to counter anticipated protests, the recipe was published in larger type with a broken-line border around it to encourage clipping. But, it didn’t help. The Times was flooded with angry letters.
To transform this classic plum torte to a German plum cake, I added a spiced strudel topping. The resulting hybrid is simply delicious – buttery cake, jammy plum filling, crowned with a spicy, crunchy topping.
This is only one of a range of classic dessert recipes on my website – many based on classic dessert recipes such as those from the New York Times. Check out the full range of recipes here!
Ingredients
For the spiced streusel:
115g light brown sugar (about 1/2 cup, firmly packed)
70g spelt flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp (5g) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1g) flaky salt
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
55g unsalted butter (about 4 tbsp), soft, about 21°C
For the cake:
125g plain flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 tsp (5g) baking powder
Large pinch flaky salt
150g caster sugar (about 3/4 cup)
115g unsalted butter, soft, about 18°C (about 1/2 cup)
100g (2 large) eggs, about 18°C
6-8 purple Italian prune plums, halved and pitted, with a small incision in the skin of each half
Method
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 180°C. Grease and line an 8 inch (20cm) round, deep cake pan, ideally with a removable base.
- For the spiced streusel: In the large bowl, combine brown sugar, spelt flour, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, and butter. Using a hand beater, mix on low speed until sandy and well combined. Set aside until needed.
- For the cake: Sift the flour in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, place the butter, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cream together with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in colour, up to 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next. Be sure to scrape down the bowl and mix again to ensure all ingredients are fully combined. Finally, add the sifted flour, mixing until just combined.
- Spoon batter into pan and smooth the top. Arrange the plums, skin side up, in a single layer to cover the batter. Next, add the spiced streusel in small handfuls, squeezing the mix in the palm of one hand to encourage it to form clumps.
- Bake until coffee cake is puffed and firm, around 40-50 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the cake away from the plums should emerge with a few moist crumbs). Cool cake directly in pan, as it will be soft and gummy until the crumb has had a chance to set.
- Cake can be stored covered at room temperature, and tastes even better the next day.
