Molly Bar David, author of “Sefer Beshul Folklore”, writes: “This plum cake – German style – was baked in such large pans that it they had to take them to the village bakery. But the large amounts were necessary to ensure that there was enough of this delicious pastry to satisfy everyone’s appetite”.
Molly’s recipe (and this version, by pastry chef Michal Amram from “Amita” bakery) has been altered to fit into your home oven, but in German bakeries the cake is still prepared in huge trays, and sold in slices.
Ingredients for German Plum Cake
For the Dough
- 1 lb 1.6 oz (500 grams) flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) Dry yeast
- 10.2 oz (290 grams) milk
- 3.5 oz (100 grams) Sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons (15 grams) Salt
- 4.25 oz (120 grams) soft butter cut into medium sized cubes
For the Filling:
- 2 lbs 3 oz (1 kilogram) plums Red, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 2.5 oz (70 grams) Sugar
Instructions
Preparing the Dough:
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1. Put flour, yeast, milk, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix until a dough forms and add salt (while mixing). With the mixer still running, add butter gradually and mix until fully incorporated. Continue kneading until dough is smooth.
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2. Gather the dough into a ball and place in a floured bowl. Cover and let rise until dough is doubled in volume (the exact time depends on the temperature in the room and the season. In the summer about half an hour, in the winter about an hour).
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3. Heat the oven to 335F degrees (170C) and grease the cake pan (or ring). Place the dough in the pan, flatten, with a little extra dough on the sides (to avoid juice runoff), and arrange the slices of plums in a spiral, beginning on the outside and working in. Cover and leave to rise until the dough doubles in volume again.
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4. Sprinkle the white sugar on top and bake for about 25 minutes or until the dough is golden.