A simple plum sheet cake recipe that we prepare in the summer and fall months in Austria and Germany.
It's a beginner-friendly and hassle-free cake commonly served during afternoon coffee time.
TL;DR
In Austria, Germany, and other neighboring regions, it is commonplace to serve a cake in the afternoon hours with coffee and whipped cream.
This is when friends, family, or neighbors come over and you take a 30-minute break. The coffee and cake time is usually set at 3 pm.
Typically, you will find a seasonal cake served, such as this plum cake. In Austria, we call it a Zwetschkenkuchen (Zwetschken is the Austrian-German word for plums), and every household prepares a different variation.
My plum cake is super simple and can be whipped up last minute. You don't need a special cake mold, just use your baking tray with some parchment paper and cut the baked cake into squarish/rectangular cake pieces.
You are free to add more plums to turn this into a juicy fruit topped cake!
Ingredient Notes
- Plums — Your favorite plum variety. We use typical local plums in Austria, known as Zwetschken, to prepare this cake. They are tart and not all that sweet. You can use sweeter and larger varieties too.
- Baking Flour — or All-Purpose Flour. Baking flour is a finer ground and more suitable for cakes but you can always use all-purpose flour as well.
- Salt — To help balance off the flavors. Every good cake in central Europe adds a pinch of salt.
- Baking Powder — We use baking powder in Europe and not baking soda. Baking powder is basically just baking soda with cream of tartar. I recommend making this cake with aluminum-free baking powder.
- Vanilla Sugar — Vanilla sugar is commonly used in central European baking. It adds a sweet vanilla flavor to the cake. You can use store-bought vanilla sugar or homemade vanilla sugar. As a substitute, add a few drops of vanilla extract with a tablespoon of sugar for the base sheet pan recipe.
- Sugar — Regular sugar.
- Butter — Use unsalted butter or salted butter, but don't add a pinch of salt in that case.
- Eggs
- Milk — Full fat milk.
Process Overview
Step 1
Prep plums. Remove the seed core and cut the plums in half or quarters.
Step 2
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl: the flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla sugar.
In a separate, larger mixing bowl, whip the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the eggs and milk to that and whip smooth.
Step 3
Gradually add and whip the dried flour ingredient mixture into the butter, sugar, eggs, and milk blend.
Step 4
Pour the smooth mass into a parchment-lined tray and spread it evenly.
Place and arrange the fresh plum quarters or halves over the pastry in the pan. (You can add as many plums as you like!)
Step 5
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) in a preheated oven, for about 25-30 minutes or until baked through and golden brown.
Cut into slices to serve up.
📖 Recipe
German Plum Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Plums fresh, *See Notes
- 2 Cups Baking Flour
- pinch Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Sugar
- 1¼ Stick Butter unsalted, soft
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ Cup Milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Prepare your fresh plums. Rinse them well and cut them in half to expose the seed core. Take out and discard the seed core. Depending on the size of each plum, cut them into quarters or halves. Collect them in a bowl and keep them aside.1 Pound Plums
- In a mixing bowl, combine first the dry ingredients (without the sugar), the flour, the salt, the baking powder, and the vanilla sugar. Keep aside.2 Cups Baking Flour, pinch Salt, 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Sugar
- In a larger bowl, blend the soft butter and the sugar until you have a pastry mix.1¼ Stick Butter, ¾ Cup Sugar
- Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mix and blend them in until all is smooth.3 Eggs
- Pour and combine the milk into the egg, butter, and sugar pastry mix.¼ Cup Milk
- Gradually add the previously prepared combination of flour and dried ingredients to the egg buttermilk batter and beat it all well until the batter appears light yellow/beige and until it's smooth in texture.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the batter over that. Spread the batter evenly over the parchment paper.
- Place and arrange the plums over the raw batter.
- Bake the slab plum cake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. You can test if the cake is done baking by poking into the cake with a pointed knife at the end of the baking time. If it comes back clean, your cake is ready.
Notes
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Whisk
Nutrition
Serving
This cake is normally always served with a dollop of freshly prepared whipped cream because it's on the drier side.
Our whipped creams tend to be unsweetened, or if they are sweetened, it's just a small quantity of sugar.
You will also like to try the cake with ice cream, as in vanilla ice cream, or I love it with a homemade vanilla sauce or custard.
Storing
The cake keeps well for 3-4 days with the recommended plum quantity. The more plums you add, the juicier it gets and the faster it will spoil.
Keep cake leftovers away from moisture, in a cake box or similar.
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