Plum cake, a beloved dessert in Germany that spans the gap between summer and autumn. German plum cake, also known as ‘Zwetschgenkuchen’ is a culinary highlight in late summer and autumn in Germany. It is no secret that Germans love both seasonal fruit and streusel and when plum season is on, you will find all kinds of German plum recipes from plum dumplings to plum butter, and especially this cake.
Variations of the German specialty exist where some versions are made with a shortbread pastry verses a yeast dough, some have streusel – some do not – some are round, others are rectangular. One thing for sure is that they all use the plump, sweet, juicy European plums also known as Italian Prune Plums or Empress Plums. This variety is ideal for cooking not only because of their texture but also because their flavor becomes more complex through cooking.
When I was growing up and my mother used Italian Prune Plums in her canning or baking, I just thought it was because they were available at the time. I had no idea that they played such a special part in German baking until I was older.
This particular ‘elevated’ German zwetschgenkuchen features juicy plums baked over a creamy cheesecake layer and spiced cake base, topped with a crunchy pepita streusel. Yum!
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- 150 gm cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup toasted pepita seeds, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- small pinch of black pepper to enhance cardamom
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Ingredients
Plums
Cheesecake Layer
Pepita Streusel
Spiced Cake Batter
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- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray with cooking spray or lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside. Cut plums into quarters & set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla extract & cornstarch together until completely smooth & free of lumps. Set aside in refrigerator.
- In the bowl, using a mixer, combine the flour, chopped pepitas, sugar & cinnamon. Add the soft butter & beat until everything is combined & the crumbs have a coarse, distinctly textured crumble (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, ground cardamom & black pepper. Add sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, butter & eggs. Beat at a low speed with a mixer until combined, then increase speed to medium-high & beat until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Spread spiced cake batter evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Top with cheesecake batter, spreading evenly over the cake batter leaving a narrow 1/2-inch border around the outside edge. Gently drag a butter knife through both layers in a fiqure-8 pattern to create a subtle marble effect.
- Gently place plum slices in a concentric pattern directly on top of the cheesecake layer. Push them skin side down so the juices pool in the plum skins.
- Using your fingers, sprinkle the pepita streusel evenly on top of the plums.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cake is lightly golden & the center no longer jiggles. Test with a skewer in the center for doneness.
- Let the cake sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the outer ring of the springform. Let cool to room temperature before serving so the cheesecake layer can fully set.
- Serves 12
• If you prefer, swap the pepita seeds for 1/4 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats to create a crisp, textured crumble.
• If using pepita seeds, toast seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until they are fragrant & lightly golden before chopping them. Let them cool completely before mixing them into the streusel so they do not melt other ingredients.