Zwetschgen-Streusel-Kuchen (yeasted plum streusel cake)
A yeasted dough rather than shortcrust or a quark filling, halved plums pressed cut-side up straight into the risen dough, and streusel over the top. This is the plainer, more rustic member of the streusel family in this book, closer to a bread than a cake underneath the fruit.
Prep30 min
Cook40 min
Rest60 min
Oven190°C
Servings12
Christoph's yeasted plum streusel cake, kept plain and rustic rather than dressed up with a custard or cheese filling.
Ingredients
Written for a 26 cm round tin
Units
Temperature
Servings
Yeast dough
- 300 g flour rounded
- 35 g sugar rounded
- 2 g fine salt rounded
- 7 g instant yeast rounded
- 150 ml milk, lukewarm rounded
- 45 g butter, melted and cooled rounded
- 1 egg rounded
Plums
- 900 g plums, halved and pitted rounded
- 3 g ground cinnamon (optional) rounded
Streusel
- 200 g flour rounded
- 120 g sugar rounded
- 110 g cold butter, cubed rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and yeast together, then add the lukewarm milk, melted butter and egg. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and prove in a warm spot for 50 minutes, until roughly doubled.
- Make the streusel: rub the cold butter into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until it forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Chill until needed.
- Press the risen dough into a lined 26 cm springform, going right to the edges. Let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Press the plum halves cut-side up into the dough, packed close together, and dust with cinnamon if using.
- Scatter the streusel over the plums in an even, generous layer.
- Bake at 190°C for 35 to 40 minutes, until the streusel is solidly golden and the dough underneath sounds hollow when tapped at an edge with no fruit.
Notes
- This dough is meant to be plainer and slightly bread-like, unlike the shortcrust and quark versions elsewhere in the book; do not expect the same tender crumb.
- Press the plums in firmly. A loosely placed plum half tips over during proving and baking, and the juice runs unevenly rather than staying where it belongs.
- A soft, slightly sticky dough is correct here. Adding extra flour to make it easier to handle gives a denser cake than the tray-bake tradition calls for.
- It keeps for 3 days at room temperature, covered, and is best the day it is baked while the streusel is still crisp.
Ingredient substitutions
- Plums can be halved apricots or greengages in the same weight.
- Instant yeast can be swapped for fresh yeast at roughly three times the weight, crumbled into the lukewarm milk with a pinch of the sugar and left for 10 minutes until foamy before mixing in.
- A dusting of cinnamon over the plums is optional but traditional; leave it out for a plainer, more butter-forward finish.
- For a nuttier streusel, replace 30 g of the flour with 30 g of finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts.
From Christoph Mayer