German Plum Cake (Pflaumenkuchen)
This authentic German plum cake tastes just like Oma's and is the best way to celebrate plum season. Start with a cookie-like crust on the bottom topped with a German cheesecake layer. Then pile on loads of fresh plums AND finally some buttery streusel.This plum cake is perfect with a cup of coffee and freezes incredibly well for future Kaffee and Kuchen dates (so you only have to bake this cake once every season).The fruit can be switched out for other fruit, and apricots, cherries, apples, rhubarb or raspberries are often used in German sheet cakes like this one.
What you need
oz sugar
oz butter, room temperature
tsp baking powder
organic eggs, large size
tsp vanilla extract, I make my own by combining scraped vanilla bean pods and vodka in a small glass bottle and letting it infuse for a couple of months
pinch salt
lb quark, or substitute half low-fat cream cheese and half thick-strained Greek yogurt (I like the Fage brand)
oz cornstarch
lemon, organic, zest and juice
oz flour
oz almond flour, No almond flour? Skip adding it and increase the amount of flour instead. You could also use only almond flour instead.
lb plum preserves, you can also use other fruit such as apricots, apples, berries or cherries.
Instructions
Make the bottom crust 0 For the cookie-like cake, knead together all dough ingredients until you achieve a dough with smooth consistency. 6 Form into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. 2 Preheat the oven to 350℉ or 180℃ (conventional setting, NOT convection). 3 Cover a rimmed baking pan (about 17 by 11 inches or 43 by 28 centimeters) with parchment paper. It tends to stick better when you first rub some oil on the pan. 16 Roll out the dough onto the baking sheet or press it down using your fingers and palms. You can also use a small rolling pin to help you (like this one). 4 Poke holes into the dough using a fork and par-bake for 10 minutes. Cheesecake Layer 5 In the meantime, beat together soft butter and sugar until foamy. Add in the eggs one at a time. Add in the quark, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice and beat until incorporated. 8 Using a spatula, spread onto the par-baked crust. Fruit 9 For the topping, prep your plums by washing, cutting them in half, removing the stones and cutting into wedges (about 8 wedges per plum). Streusel 13 For the streusel, using your hands, knead together flour, almond flour, butter and sugar, then crumble it apart with your fingers to make the streusel. 11 After the second stage of baking is finished, remove cake from the oven, and evenly distribute the plums first (I like to make pretty rows), and then the streusel. 14 Bake for another 1 hour, covering the cake with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes of baking. 15 Serve with some fresh whipped cream (I add a little bit of powdered sugar and some vanilla extract in mine) and a cup of coffee. Oma will be so proud!View original recipe
