Your email address is required to begin the subscription process. We will use it for customer service and other communications from Milk Street. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.
Austrian Plum Cake (Zwetschgenkuchen)
This recipe is free for 7 more days. 12 WEEKS FOR $1 TO ACCESS EVERY MILK STREET RECIPE. Learn More.
This simple cake showcases tangy-sweet summertime plums. Both red and black varieties works beautifully. Just make sure to choose ripe, medium plums that still have a little firmness; soft, ultra-juicy fruits will make the center of the cake wet and soggy. Italian prune plums are great, too; use the same weight. But since they are small, cut them into halves instead of quarters. Ripe but firm pluots, a plum-apricot hybrid, are another excellent alternative. The flavor and texture of this cake are best the day of baking, but leftovers can be stored overnight in an airtight container at room temperature.
8
Servings
Tip
Don't forget to allow time for the butter to soften. Cold, firm butter won't blend well into the dry ingredients. And don’t underbake this cake; the plums let off a lot of juice that slows down the baking, especially at the center. When testing for doneness, make sure there are no moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick.
1½ hours
10 minutes active
130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
107 grams (½ cup) white sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, room temperature
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds ripe but firm medium plums, quartered and pitted
Powdered sugar, to serve
Ingredients
-
130
grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
-
107
grams (½ cup) white sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
-
¾
teaspoon baking powder
-
¼
teaspoon table salt
-
8
tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, room temperature
-
1
large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
-
1½
teaspoons vanilla extract
-
1¼
pounds ripe but firm medium plums, quartered and pitted
-
Powdered sugar, to serve
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, then dust evenly with flour; tap out the excess.
-
02In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, 107 grams (½ cup) of the sugar, the baking powder and salt on low until combined, about 5 seconds. With the mixer running, add the butter 1 piece at a time and continue mixing just until the mixture resembles moist sand, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Increase to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed.
-
03Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Arrange the plum quarters on top of the batter in 2 concentric circles, placing the pieces on their cut sides.
-
04Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean, 1 to 1¼ hours.
-
05Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove the pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar.
Reviews
June 27, 2022
Totally awesome
Beautiful summertime dessert to showcase seasonal stonefruit. I used yellow, red and purple plums to create a cascade. Beautiful and impressive.
Wow, this was a simple but elegant cake! I say it is worthy of serving to house guests. The tricky part is getting plums that right sweetness. Plums are in season now, but the ones we got were a bit on the tart side, but little whip cream topping sweetened it right up. I had 8" springform and 10", so I used the 8" springform, I'm glad I did. I tried this with peaches a few days later using a 10" springform and found it was bid too flat, 8" or 9" is the way to go. As far as peaches go, it worked. I used a little brown sugar and cinnamon on peaches, the peach had nice caramelization to them. The cake looks beautiful, I will be proud to serve it or bring it to someone's diner party.
Become A Subscriber To Rate and Review All Our Recipes.
Please Log in or join today for $1.
FOR FREE ACCESS TO THIS RECIPE, PLEASE ENTER YOUR EMAIL
Thanks, you’re in! You will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to download your digital copy of 12 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook.
Your First Issue
Do you think this would work with peaches?