The BEST German Plum Cake (Pflaumenkuchen)

This authentic German plum cake tastes just like Oma's and is the best way to celebrate plum season. Start with a cookie-like crust on the bottom topped with a German cheesecake layer. Then pile on loads of fresh plums AND finally some buttery streusel.

This plum cake is perfect with a cup of coffee and freezes incredibly well for future Kaffee and Kuchen dates (so you only have to bake this cake once every season).

The fruit can be switched out for other fruit, and apricots, cherries, apples, rhubarb, or raspberries are often used in German sheet cakes like this one.

How to make it

Making plum cake isn't hard. It just takes a little bit of time and is even more fun to make when you assign some of the tasks to a friend and bake it together. Detailed step-by-step instructions are on the bottom of this post in the recipe card.

To make this plum cake, you start by combining all the dough ingredients for the cookie-like crust, let it rest for a bit in the fridge, then press it onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

To help the parchment paper not move around as much, I like to first spray the baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or rub it with oil before placing the parchment on top of it. I usually use my hands to press the dough down and then even it out with a small rolling pin like this one.

Now you will pierce the raw dough using a fork before putting it in the oven for just a few minutes to par-bake.

While the bottom layer of the plum cake is par-baking, prep your second layer, which is a German cheesecake layer. The Käsekuchen layer is made using quark, which you can order from this Missouri-based dairy farm online (they only ship in the colder months).

You can also substitute the quark by using half-low-fat cream cheese and half-fat-free quick-strained Greek yogurt like the Fage brand. It will taste a little different than the German version, but close.

After spreading the German cheesecake layer onto the par-baked bottom crust, you bake it again. While baking, prep your plums by washing, removing the stone, and slicing them into small wedges.

Combine your streusel ingredients in a bowl, knead them together by hand, then break them apart into crumbs.

Add the plums to the cake (or you can use other fruit such as apples, apricots, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.). Top with the streusel topping, then return to the oven again to finish baking.

Serve with fresh whipped cream (I add a little bit of powdered sugar and vanilla extract) and of course, a cup of coffee like you would for Kaffee and Kuchen time.

Can I freeze this cake?

Yes, you can! This plum cake freezes incredibly well. To save yourself time and energy, I recommend doubling the recipe, then cutting it into slices and freezing half of it or more. This cake tastes best when it is eaten within 2 to 3 months of the freeze date.

When ready to eat, simply let your plum cake slices sit out on a plate at room temperature for about 2 hours.

Want it warm? Put it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.

And don't forget to top it with whipped cream when serving. It's of course optional, but helps to make everything taste so much better!

Ingredients

This homemade plum cake uses mainly staple ingredients. Find detailed ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.

• Flour. I use all-purpose flour in all of my baking recipes to keep things simple. I buy the organic brand in bulk from Costco because I go through so much of it!
• Sugar. I use cane sugar.
• Butter. I use grass-fed butter and it helps everything taste better!
• Baking powder. For some rising power.
• Eggs. They are used in the bottom cookie-like cake crust as well as the cheesecake layer.
• Vanilla. I use a pure vanilla extract that I make at home by combining scraped vanilla beans in a small bottle with vodka. I go through a lot of them at Christmas time when making Vanillekipferl cookies and Dampfnudeln and when making Milchreis (German rice pudding).

• Quark. This is a special dairy that is as common in Germany as yogurt (and similar in a way, except not as tart and a thicker consistency). You can buy it online from this dairy farm (they only ship in the colder months). You can substitute quark in this recipe with a mixture of half-low-fat cream cheese and half-thick-strained Greek yogurt (I like the Fage brand). The taste will be very similar.
• Corn starch. I use some in the cheesecake layer to help thicken it.
• Lemon. Since you're using the zest and the juice of the lemon, I recommend using an organic lemon.
• Almond flour. I use a mixture of wheat and almond flour for my streusel topping, although you can also use just either and not both.
• Plums. I buy whatever kind of plums I can find (usually the common red plum or black plums). If you can find Italian plums (they are smaller and called Zwetschgen in German), then you can also use those to make a Zwetschgenkuchen.

Video

Watch this short video to help you understand how German plum cake is made. Then use the detailed recipe below to help you make it.

More plum cakes

Want to make a simpler German plum cake?
Check out this German apple streusel sheet cake and use plums instead.

I also love this rhubarb cake (you can use plums instead), which uses a yeast-based cake bottom and is SO SIMPLE to make.

Finally, this spiced plum tart with marzipan is also a super delicious and pretty way to eat more plums!