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A plum kuchen on a sheet of parchment with three slices cut from it and a collection of forks, a spoon, and two coffee cups nearby.
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5 / 2 votes

Plum Kuchen

This plum kuchen is essentially an easy crumb cake made with a doughy batter and a simple streusel topping. A German classic, we welcome it as breakfast, brunch, onesies, dessert, midnight nosh…heck, there's no time of day or night that we don't welcome it.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Calories: 537

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 9 tablespoons (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, diced and softened, plus more for the pan
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 ounce fast-acting dried yeast
  • A good pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1 medium egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, preferably organic
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 pounds plums, rinsed and sliced into sixths or eighths (about 4 plums)

For the streusel

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar
  • A good pinch salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the cake dough

  • Butter an 8-inch (20-cm) square cake pan and line the bottom and sides with buttered parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the sides of the pan.
  • Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until 110°F (43°C) or a shade warmer than body temperature. Do not let the milk even come close to boiling.
  • Put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, yeast, and salt and mix with a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine. Make a well in the middle.
  • In a bowl or large measuring glass, combine the sour cream or buttermilk, whole egg, yolk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Pour the warm milk into the mixer bowl, add the sour cream mixture and softened butter, and knead on medium speed for 4 to 6 minutes, until you have a smooth dough that's almost sorta like a thick cake batter.
  • Scoop the dough into the prepared pan and spread level using a palette knife. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and either let the dough rise slowly overnight in the fridge or for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: The dough may not rise appreciably. On the other hand, it may double in size. Either way is okay.

  • If you left the dough overnight in the fridge, bring it to room temperature before proceeding.

Make the streusel

  • Mix the sugars, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir well to combine—the mixture should start to form large clumps.

Assemble and bake the kuchen

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190°C).
  • Scatter 1/3 of the streusel over the cake. Arrange the plum slices on the streusel. Scatter the remaining streusel over the plums.
  • Place the pan containing the kuchen on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. The dough will probably have puffed to the top of the pan.
  • Reduce the heat to 350ºF (177°C) and continue to bake until the cake has risen even more, the streusel is golden and crisp, the fruit is tender, and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes more.
  • Let the kuchen cool in the pan until warm or room temperature before slicing. It’s best eaten on the day of making but will reheat well if wrapped in foil and placed in a warm oven for a few minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 34mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g