German plum cake, or Pflaumenkuchen, is made with a thin, buttery yeasted dough covered with plums and lots of streusel before it goes into the oven. I leave the prune plums unsweetened because their tartness is part of what makes this cake so good.
A German Yeast Cake Covered with Plums and Streusel
I grew up with a plum tree in our backyard that produced an absurd amount of fruit, and my grandmother made a cake like this with those plums. I’m Polish, not German, but she knew the baking from that part of Europe well, from German apple cake to this plum cake, and I can promise you she wasn’t standing in the backyard worrying about whether she had the correct plum variety. She used the plums we had because we had so many of them, and every year there was a cake like this one.
Every August and September, the farmers market is full of Italian prune plums, and they’re what I use for this cake now. They’re smaller and firmer than the big plums you find at the grocery store, and they don’t give off as much juice while they bake, which is helpful when you’re putting this much fruit on a thin yeast dough.
But you don’t need Italian prune plums to make a good plum cake this way. My grandmother made hers for years with the large red plums from our backyard, and none of us were suffering through second-rate plum cake. If another plum is what you have, use it while it’s still firm enough to slice neatly and before it gets very soft and mushy.
The Decisions Behind This Recipe
- I wanted the cake to stay thin because the plums and streusel are really the focus. Since this is an enriched yeast dough, not a regular cake batter, I spread a small amount across a 9 x 13-inch sheet pan so there’s enough soft cake to support the fruit and streusel without becoming a thick, bready base.
- Once I’ve pressed and stretched the dough across the pan, I let it rise a second time before adding the fruit. Some of the air from the first rise is lost while working the dough into all the corners, so I give it time to puff back up. I wait until it looks noticeably thicker before the plums go on because I don’t want the dough flattened against the bottom of the pan.
- I don’t sweeten the plums at all. There’s already sugar in the dough and enough in the streusel, and I like having the tartness from the fruit in the middle of all the sweetness. If every layer is sweet, the cake starts to lose the thing that makes the plums interesting.
- I also cut the plums into narrow slices instead of leaving them in halves or big quarters. I want several strips of plum on each piece of cake, so I arrange them in 15 groups and alternate the direction of each group. I like how the pattern looks, but it also gives me a roadmap when I cut the cake into 15 pieces later.
- And then there’s the streusel, which isn’t here to be unnoticed. I want enough of it that it has its own real estate. I use melted butter because I can mix it with a fork and get both smaller crumbs and bigger buttery pieces instead of one perfectly even sandy layer.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – This is used in both the yeasted dough and the streusel. Regular all-purpose flour gives the dough enough strength to support the plums and streusel without making the cake too bread-like.
- Granulated sugar – This goes into both the dough and the streusel. There’s enough in the dough to give it sweetness without competing with the tart plums.
- Active dry yeast – This gives the cake its soft yeasted base instead of the crumb you’d get from a regular cake batter. Instant yeast also works in this recipe.
- Whole milk – Use lukewarm whole milk, about 100–110°F (38–43°C), so it’s warm enough for the yeast without being too hot.
- Unsalted butter – This goes into both the dough and the streusel, but it’s used differently in each. Soften the butter for the dough and melt it for the streusel.
- Egg yolk – The yolk adds richness and color to the yeasted dough without adding the extra liquid of a whole egg.
- Vanilla extract – I use vanilla in both the dough and the streusel, so make sure you divide it between the two when measuring your ingredients.
- Lemon zest – It goes well with the plums, but there’s not enough to make the cake taste lemony.
- Italian prune plums – These are my favorite for this cake because they’re smaller, firmer, and less juicy than larger plums, which makes them easy to cut into narrow pieces and arrange across the dough. They also keep some tartness as they bake. If you can’t find Italian prune plums, choose another plum that feels firm and isn’t overly juicy.
- Table salt – A small amount goes into both the dough and the streusel to keep all that butter and sugar from tasting too sweet.
- Ground cinnamon – I use a small amount in the streusel so you can taste the cinnamon without turning the cake into a cinnamon dessert.
How to Make German Plum Cake with Streusel
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.
- Step One (make the yeasted dough)
Add the lukewarm milk, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the flour, salt, softened butter, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix with the dough hook on low until there’s no dry flour left, then increase the speed to medium-low and let it knead for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft and still tacky when it’s ready, so don’t start throwing in extra flour because it doesn’t look like a stiff bread dough. - Step Two (give the dough its first rise)
Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm and draft-free for about an hour. I go by what the dough looks like, and I want it to look roughly doubled in size before I start pressing it into the pan. - Step Three (prepare the plums and streusel)
While the dough is rising, halve the Italian prune plums lengthwise, remove the pits and cut each half into four narrow pieces. For the streusel, stir the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt together, then add the melted butter and vanilla and mix everything with a fork until crumbs form. I stop while there are still some bigger buttery crumbles mixed in with the smaller ones because I want both sizes scattered across the cake. - Step Four (press the dough into the sheet pan and let it rise again)
Butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) sheet pan and line the bottom with parchment if you want to, then use lightly buttered fingertips to press and stretch the risen dough all the way across the bottom. It’s going to look very thin once you spread that amount of dough across the pan, and that’s exactly right. Cover it again and let it rise for about 30 minutes, until it looks noticeably puffier and has approximately doubled in thickness. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) while it finishes rising. - Step Five (arrange the plums and add the streusel)
Arrange the plum pieces in 15 groups across the risen dough, alternating the direction of each group so you get the cross-hatch pattern across the top. I like doing it this way because the pattern ends up giving me a built-in guide when I cut the cake later, and every piece gets several strips of plum instead of one giant hunk of fruit. Scatter the streusel over everything, including the exposed dough, and leave some of those larger crumbs alone. - Step Six (bake and cool the cake)
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Pay attention to the golden dough around the outside, streusel that has picked up some color, and plums that are tender with their juices bubbling around them. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then use the plum pattern as your guide to cut it into 15 pieces and serve it warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Tips
- Use plums that are firm enough to slice into narrow strips. Very soft plums release more juice as they bake and can leave the cake wetter around the fruit.
- Give the cake at least 20 minutes to cool before cutting it. The fruit juices will have time to thicken slightly, and the pieces are easier to cut while keeping the streusel on top.
- If you bought too many plums for this cake, my shrimp and fresh plum stir-fry uses two of them.
- My usual advice for dealing with the one leftover egg white from this recipe and others is to freeze it in an ice cube tray until you have enough to make my angel food cupcakes, or use it to make 5 to 6 small meringue cookies. Whip the egg white with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar to stiff peaks, then bake at 225°F for 1 hour.
Storage and Reheating
- German plum cake is best the day it’s baked, when the yeasted cake is soft and the streusel has its best texture. Once completely cool, cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Let refrigerated cake come to room temperature before serving, or warm a piece briefly in a low oven.
- Freeze completely cooled pieces well wrapped in an airtight container for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature. The streusel will soften somewhat after freezing, but the cake freezes well.
FAQs
- Can I use regular red or black plums instead of Italian prune plums?
Yes. My grandmother made this kind of cake with the large red plums from our backyard, so I’m not going to tell you the cake falls apart without a particular plum. Choose fruit that’s ripe but still firm and cut it into narrow slices so it bakes evenly. And if I’m being honest, I feel like the grocery store has more unripe than ripe plums anyway. - Is Pflaumenkuchen the same thing as Zwetschgenkuchen?
Both names are used for German plum cakes, although Zwetschgenkuchen refers more specifically to a cake made with Zwetschgen, the smaller prune-type plums commonly used for baking. Pflaumenkuchen is a broader name for plum cake, which is why I use it here. - Can I make the dough without a stand mixer?
Yes. You can mix and knead it by hand, although the soft, tacky dough will feel messier than a firmer bread dough. Knead until it becomes smooth and elastic without adding a lot of extra flour to make it easier to handle. - Do I need to peel the plums?
No. Leave the skins on. They soften as the cake bakes and help the plum slices hold together.
From My Kitchen Notes
Small observations from the margins.
- Some things take longer because they’re becoming something else, not because they’re lost.
- It’s okay to know where something came from without knowing where it’s going.
- Sweetness is different when there’s something tart under it.
- There are things I have because they were handed down and others because I chose them.
- I can stretch something a long way without breaking it, but that doesn’t mean it should be stretched forever.
- Sometimes my memories feel more like instruction than nostalgia.
- There’s a point when my patience stops helping and starts costing me something.
- What survives time isn’t always what stays unchanged.
When Fruit Gets Covered in Streusel
- Brown Butter Peach Coffee Cake Muffins – Fresh peaches, brown butter, cinnamon streusel, vanilla glaze.
- Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars – Blueberries, creamy lemon filling, buttery oat streusel.
- Blackberry Crumble – Blackberries, buttery oat crumble topping.
- Caramel Apple-Walnut Crumble – Apples, walnut crumble topping, caramel drizzle.
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German Plum Cake with Streusel
German Plum Cake with Streusel is a traditional Pflaumenkuchen made with a thin, buttery yeasted dough, closely arranged prune plums, and a substantial melted-butter streusel topping. The dough gets a second rise in the pan before the unsweetened plums are added, keeping the shallow cake tender underneath the fruit.
Servings: 15 slices
Calories: 325kcal
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) sheet pan The shallow sides are perfect for the thin yeasted base and make it easy to cut the finished cake into 15 slices.
- Stand Mixer fitted with a dough hook. Kneads the enriched yeast dough until smooth and soft without requiring additional flour.
- mixing bowls For preparing the streusel while the dough rises.
- pairing knife For halving, pitting, and cutting the prune plums into narrow pieces.
- parchment paper Can be used to line the bottom of the baking pan for easier removal.
Ingredients
Yeasted Dough:
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk lukewarm
- 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) active dry yeast or instant yeast
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (3 g) table salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon
Plum Topping:
- 1-1¼ lbs (454-570 g) Italian prune plums or any plum that's not overly ripe
Streusel:
- 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
- pinch table salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the lukewarm milk, yeast, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Stir briefly to moisten the yeast, then add the flour, salt, softened butter, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) active dry yeast, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp (3 g) table salt, 1 large egg yolk , 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract, zest of one lemon, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. Increase to medium-low speed and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Avoid adding extra flour unless the dough remains excessively sticky after kneading.
- Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until approximately doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, wash and thoroughly dry the Italian prune plums. Cut the plums in half lengthwise and remove the pits, then cut each half lengthwise into 4 narrow pieces so each whole plum yields about 8 pieces. Set aside.1-1¼ lbs (454-570 g) Italian prune plums
- To make the streusel, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and mix with a fork until crumbs form, leaving a mixture of smaller crumbs and larger pieces. Set aside.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon, pinch table salt, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) sheet pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper if desired.
- Transfer the risen dough to the prepared sheet pan and use lightly buttered fingertips to press and stretch it into an even layer across the bottom. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes, until the thin layer of dough is noticeably puffier and approximately doubled in thickness.
- While the dough completes its second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Arrange the plum pieces over the risen dough in 15 groups, corresponding to the 15 portions of the finished cake. Alternate the direction of the plum pieces from one group to the next to create the cross-hatch pattern.
- Scatter the streusel evenly over the plums and exposed dough, keeping some of the larger crumbs intact.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through, until the dough is golden brown around the perimeter, the streusel is lightly browned, and the plums are tender with their juices bubbling.
- Cool the German plum cake in the pan for at least 20 minutes before cutting into 15 pieces, using the arrangement of the plums as a guide. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- The dough should be soft and slightly tacky after kneading. Avoid adding extra flour unless it remains excessively sticky.
- After pressing the dough into the pan, let it rise until visibly puffy and approximately doubled in thickness.
- Don't sugar the plums before baking. The dough and streusel provide enough sweetness.
- Arrange the plums in 15 groups, alternating their direction to create the cross-hatch pattern and guide the portions.
- For the streusel, leave a mixture of fine crumbs and larger pieces.
- Rise times will vary with kitchen temperature, so use the appearance of the dough as your guide.
- The cake is best the day it is baked. Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days or freeze well wrapped for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
German Plum Cake with Streusel
Amount Per Serving (100 g)
Calories 325
Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 125mg5%
Potassium 150mg4%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 21g23%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 470IU9%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you made this German Plum Cake? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.
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