In the kitchen with Elisa
German Plum Cake - Pflaumenkuchen
Delicious coffee cake packed with juicy plums
Hello beautiful juicy plums, nice to have you back! :)
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Lets admire the seasonal produce of the golden and colourful autumn! I don´t think there is any other season so rich and versatile in produce as autumn and I am loving every little bit of it :)
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I ​know it is a second plum recipe in a row, but this one is so amazing I just couldn´t wait any longer to share it with you, so I hope you won´t mind :) I got a big bag of plums from our grandma and because they were really sour and not really great for eating as such, I have been thinking of all kind of recipes to use them for. In Germany there is one cake that is very popular during plum season, Pflaumenkuchen or Plum Cake. It is typically made as a tray bake with a thin layer of cake, topped very generously with plums and with a crunchy crumble on top. However, I find the batter in the traditional one is quite dense and dry, which had to be changed :) That is why I made a sour cream cake base and spiced it with some cardamom to give it a little twist. If you check the video linked below you will get some video proof of how amazingly soft this cake is. It turned out even better than I expected and I fell absolutely in love with it :) Bye bye diet, I am sorry, but I cannot stop eating this! :D
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The previous recipe for my Plum Cheesecake Pie might sound very similar, as it also has plums and that crumble topping, but these two are like night and day, they couldn´t be more different. But then on another hand, they are very similar, as the taste freaking delicious! :) ​I promise you will fall in love once you try that first bite :)
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I hope that was enough said to convince you :) Because whenever a recipe works out so good I really want everyone to try it to get to enjoy that goodness with me :)
Happy Baking lovelies!
Step by Step Video
RECIPE
German Plum Cake
Delicious coffee cake packed with juicy plums
​INGREDIENTS
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150g softened butter
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150g sugar
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3 eggs
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300g flour
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1 ½ tsp baking powder
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¾ tsp baking soda
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5 cardamom pods or about ½ tsp ground cardamom
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200g sour cream (20% fat content)
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700g plums
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50g cold butter
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50g sugar
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70g flour
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1-2 tbsp sugar (optional)
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DIRECTIONS
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Cream the softened butter with the sugar in a medium bowl for a couple of minutes with a hand mixer or a standing mixer until soft and pale.
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Add eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute between each addition.
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If you are using cardamom pods, peel the pods and grind the seeds into powder with a spice grinder or in a pestle and mortar.
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In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients.
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Sieve about 1/3 of the dry ingredient into the eggs and butter and mix shortly, then add about 1/3 of the sour cream and mix again. Repeat until you have used up everything.
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Spread the batter evenly into a square 29cm x 29cm baking form. Wash the plums, remove the stone and cut them in fourths. Arrange the plum pieces over the batter.
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To make the crumble, combine cold butter, sugar and flour in a medium bowl and mix shortly with your hands just until the crumble forms. Optionally you can pulse all the ingredients in a food processor.
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Sprinkle the crumble topping over the plums. If the plums you are using are very sour I would also suggest to sprinkle from one to two tablespoons of sugar on top of the cake before baking.
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Bake the cake in 175°C bottom top heat at the middle shelf of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is golden from the top. Test with a wooden skewer that the cake is baked through before removing it from the oven.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cake ring (if using one). Then allow the cake to cool completely before serving.
TIP. For a naughty treat, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top or with some vanilla sauce.
