Snack · 80 min · german

Zwetschgenkuchen — Plum Cake

A German snack built around all-purpose flour and active dry yeast — on the table in 80 minutes. At 320 calories and 6g protein per serving, it fits easily into a high-protein day. Naturally vegetarian, it scales cleanly if you are cooking for more than one.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 3 cups All-purpose flour
• 2.25 tsp Active dry yeast
• 0.75 cup Warm milk
• 6 tbsp Butter
• 0.5 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 lb Italian prune plums
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 0.5 cup All-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp Cold butter
• 0.33 cup Brown sugar

Steps

1. Make a simple yeast dough and press it into a buttered sheet pan, letting it rise 20 minutes. This is a yeasted base, thin and bready — not a pie crust.
2. Halve the plums and remove the pits. Arrange them cut-side up in tight, overlapping rows, pressing them into the dough. Use the small, oval Italian prune plums — big round plums are too watery.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and scatter the buttery streusel over the top. The streusel catches the plum juices and turns jammy in the oven.
4. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes until the plums slump and the streusel is golden. The plums should look like they’re melting into the cake.
5. Cool slightly and serve warm with softly whipped cream. In late summer, when zwetschgen are in season, this cake appears in every bakery window in Germany.

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