German Plum Cake • Pflaumenkuchen

Name: German Plum Cake • Pflaumenkuchen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast; ¾ cup lukewarm milk (between 105ºF to 110ºF); 3 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided; 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided plus more for work surface; ¼ tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt; 1 large free-range egg, room temperature; ½ tbsp. lemon zest; 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and room temperature; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1 ½ lbs. (about 16) Damson plums, washed, pits removed and sliced; 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil, for hands and bowl; ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt; ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and room temperature

Author: Francine Lizotte

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Posted on Sep 16th, 2025

by Francine Lizotte

Almost two decades ago, before I met David, German cuisine wasn’t on my preferred list. After a few visits to well-known restaurants, I couldn’t find anything redeeming about their food. To me, it was blah 🥱 and enormously lacking in seasoning.

Soon after I moved in with him, we went to Coombs, near Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The place is called Goats on the Roof, and guess what? There are actually real goats 🐐 sitting on top of the roof, munching grass growing on it! It’s very neat!

It’s a cute market with an amazing deli counter, a variety of food from almost every country in Europe, and a cute giftshop. These kinds of places are my favorite spot as a foody! I slowly walk 🚶‍♀️ through the aisles, looking at all the different ingredients, cans, packages, and getting my creative side in gear!

As much as I want to try all the “unknown” products, David likes to put brakes on it 🚫. If it weren’t for him, I could easily come out with a couple of hundred dollars worth of merchandise that I have no clue how they taste or what I would make with them.

When we were at Goats on the Roof, we did spend a lot of money 💰, but one category we brought back with us was a few sweet treats from Germany. There was Pfeffernüsse, Linzer Cookies, and Stollen. Next thing I know, I was baking German desserts!

As I was learning about Bavarian desserts, one that David kept asking me to make 👩‍🍳 every late summer was German Plum Cake • Pflaumenkuchen! After going through his mother and his Oma’s personal notes, I rolled up my sleeves and gave it a try… I’m glad I did, as this cake is among my favorites!

With a few modifications, this amazing dessert is perfect to make at the end of summer while plums are in season. Incredibly delicious, this yeast-based sheet cake is covered with juicy, sliced plums, either Damson or Italian, and topped with a sweet streusel… simply scrumptious 😋!

My method of making this German Plum Cake • Pflaumenkuchen is slightly different from David’s mom and Oma 👵. I use a stand mixer, and when most of the dough clings to the hook, I take it out, form a ball with my oiled hands, cover it, and let it rise for 1 to 1:30 hours or until it doubles in size.

After rising is done, I stretch out the dough to form a 9 x 13-inch rectangle. I then place it in a cake pan that has greased parchment paper with overhangs so I can lift it out later. I spread the dough to cover the bottom of the pan. My mother-in-law 👩‍🦱 was generously buttering hers without the paper.

After the sliced plums have been laid in a single layer on the cake , I cover and let it proof for 30 minutes. Later on, I sprinkle the streusel on top of the fruits, making sure to cover them all, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes ⏰. I turn the heat to ‘Low Broil’ and cook until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes at the most.

Now, let’s talk about the ingredients…
I add lemon zest 🍋 to the dough as well as pure vanilla extract. These two added ingredients give a nice flavor to the cake. When it comes to the plums, Damson or Italian are the ones to choose.

Here is the difference between these two varieties…
Damson Plums are sweet with some tartness, while Italian Plums are generally sweet. Both can be used in this recipe. David prefers Damson, while I like to go with the Italian ones. It’s a question of taste, so choose the ones you want. Make sure they’re really ripe… it makes the cake 🍰 sweeter!

When it comes to the streusel, it’s important to chill it while the dough is rising, and here are the reasons. The butter 🧈 will get firmer therefore, the texture will get crispier. Also, when the butter is cold, it will prevent the streusel from spreading out while baking. When it’s baked, it’s optional, but the top can be sprinkled with some icing sugar.

Depending on which region of Germany, this dessert can be called either Zwetschgendatschi, Zwetschgenkuchen, or Zwetschgenplootz. It’s also a popular cake in other countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, as well as in France 🌍, where is known as Quetschekuche.

This German Plum Cake • Pflaumenkuchen is a scrumptious late summer dessert to make! It can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. It keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, and if there are leftovers, wrap it and freeze it for a couple of months. You can also make this cake with other fruits such as peaches 🍑 or apricots.
Bon Appétit! 🍽

Check out these other great German recipes… 😀
– Kartoffelsuppe • German Potato Soup
– Coffee Cake
– German Red Cabbage
– Homemade Pretzels
– Sweet & Spicy German Mustard
– Pfeffernüsse • German Peppernut Cookies
– Pork Schnitzel
– German Spätzle
– Zwiebelrostbraten
– Beef Rouladen
and for even more dessert recipes 🍩🍰, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert

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