Zwetschgen-kuchen used to be seasonal and always highly anticipated. In our huge garden we had three plum trees, and in some years, they carried so much fruit that the branches had to be supported. Everybody looked forward to the harvest, and after eating the ripe fruit directly from the trees, plum tarts in all their variations were a highlight of the season.

　　This recipe is quite simple, but very tasty. Depending on the type of plums, the tart can get a bit juicy. The amount of may streusel seem small, but the plums shouldn’t be completely covered.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'The German Baking Book' by Jurgen Krauss. Buy the full book on Amazon.

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　10 In Springform Cake Pan

　　$28 At Amazon

　　Rolling Pin

　　$19 At Amazon

　　Blanched Almond Flour

　　$16 $15 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 12

　　

For the crust

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for ousting

　　9 Tbsp. (125 g) unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing

　　⅓ cup superfine sugar

　　2 tsp. vanilla sugar

　　Zest of 1 lemon

　　1 medium egg

　　Pinch salt

　　Egg yolk, for glazing

　　

For the topping

About 2 pounds (1 kg.) plums

　　⅓ cups (75 g) all-purpose flour

　　½ cup (50 g) ground almonds

　　½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

　　6½ Tbsp. (100 g) unsalted butter, cubed

　　½ tsp. ground cinnamon

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and line a 10-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

Put all the ingredients for the crust, except the egg yolk, into a bowl. With your hands, mix and work the ingredients together until the dough becomes smooth and pliable. On a floured surface, roll out the dough slightly larger than the diameter of the pan. Transfer the dough to the pan—there should be a rim of about 1 inch around the sides. Brush the inside of the crust with egg yolk.

　　

Step 3

Prepare the plums. Wash them, halve them, and remove the pits. Then, from the cut side, cut them again about halfway through. Arrange the plums on the crust.

　　

Step 4

For the streusel, add the remaining topping ingredients to a separate bowl and mix, working it with your hands until it holds together in big chunks. Spread the chunks randomly over the plums, leaving part of the plums uncovered.

　　

Step 5

Bake for about 70 minutes. Keep an eye on the color of the streusel and don't let it get too dark.

　　

Step 6

This cake tastes great warm, and whipped cream or vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments. It keeps well for several days, stored in an airtight container.

　　Excerpted from The German Baking Book by Jürgen Krauss, Weldon Owen/Insight Editions 2023. Buy the full book from Amazon or Weldon Owen.