This with vanilla and cinnamon flavored German plum cake with vanilla cream and streusel is so good, not too sweet and easy to make. Such a great way to use plums when they are in season!
Another simple, delicious and not too sweet German plum cake with vanilla cream and streusel (crumble).
The plum cake is made up of the cake base filled with pudding (vanilla yogurt cream) and fresh Italian plums and lightly topped with crumble that’s made together with the cake base. So you don’t have to make the crumble extra.
What you’ll need to make the plum cake base and crumble
- 250 g (2 cups + 1 tablespoon/ 8.8 oz) plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 65 g (about 1/3 cup / 2.3 oz) sugar
- 125 g (about ½ cup/ 4.4 oz) butter, soft
- 1 medium egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar/ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (just use 1 tablespoon more sugar if you’re using vanilla extract).
What you’ll need to make pudding / vanilla cream
- 200 g (7 ½ oz) Greek yogurt (sour cream, Schmand or cream cheese make a great swap)
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) milk
- 40 g g (⅓ cup/ 1.4 oz) cornstarch (corn flour)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
What you’ll need for the fruit filling
- 550 g (1.2 lbs) Italian plums/ Damson plums
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
How to make German plum cake with pudding and streusel
Start off by lining the cake tin with a parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides with butter. Next clean the plums. Simply fill a bowl with water and wash them very well. Using a colander drain the plums and let dry for a couple of minutes.
In the meantime make the cake base and crumbles. In a bowl combine an egg, sugar, butter, flour and baking powder. Using your hands mix all the ingredients together to form a firm dough. Divide the dough into two doughs: 3/4 (three quarters) and 1/4 (one quarter).
Crumble the 3/4 dough into the prepared 26 cm (10 inch) spring-form (or cake tin with removable base). Using your hands, press the cake base until the bottom of the cake tin is covered. Make the dough a bit high on the sides as well and set aside. Keep the remaining dough for later.
How to pit the plums
Take one plum at a time, (hold it with one hand) turn it upside down, such that the side with the stem is facing down. Cut from top lengthwise in a cross form until the middle part of the plum. Extend just one cut to the bottom.
Open the plum at the side with the longest line and remove the pit. In the end end you should have a plum with interconnected quarters.
Repeat the process until you have used up all the plums. You could also use a plum stoner if you have one.
Make the pudding yogurt cream and layer and bake plum cake
Combine milk, vanilla sugar and cornstarch (corn flour) in a small pot or sauce pan. Keep stirring until it starts to bubble and has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
After cooling the pudding for few minutes, add strained yogurt and mix very well. Next preheat the oven to 180 ° C (356 °F), with both top and bottom heat. Then spread the pudding over the base. Smooth with a spoon or spatula.
Gently arrange the plums close to each other on the pudding with the cut side facing up, as shown on the photos. If you have some leftover plums once you’re done arranging them on the cream, just divide them with your hands and fill the openings.
Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sugar over the top of the plums. Then crumble the remaining dough evenly over the top and bake for 50 minutes.
After 50 minutes remove the from the oven and let it cool completely. Lightly dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
More fruit cakes you’ll like
German Plum Cake With Vanilla Cream and Streusel
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- 26 cm(10 inch) spring-form (or cake tin with removable base)
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Small pot or saucepan
- Whisk
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
What you need to make plum cake base and crumble
- 250 g (2 cups + 1 tablespoon/ 8.8 oz) plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 65 (about 1/3 cup / 2.3 oz) sugar
- 125 g (about ½ cup/ 4.4 oz) butter soft
- 1 medium egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (just use a tablespoon more sugar if you’re using vanilla extract
What you need make pudding / vanilla cream
- 200 g (7 ½ oz) Greek yogurt SEE NOTES
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) milk
- 40 g (⅓ cup/ 1.4 oz) cornstarch (corn flour)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
What you'll need for the fruit filling
- 550 g (1.2 lbs) plums SEE NOTES
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Start off by lining the cake tin with a parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides with butter. Next clean the plums. Simply fill a bowl with water and wash them very well. Using a colander drain the plums and let dry for a couple of minutes. In the meantime make the cake base and crumbles.
- How to make the plum cake base and crumbs: In a bowl combine an egg, sugar, butter, flour and baking powder. Using your hands mix all the ingredients together to form a firm dough.
- Divide the dough into two doughs: 3/4 (three quarters) and 1/4 (one quarter). Crumble the 3/4 dough into the prepared 26 cm (10 inch) spring-form (or cake tin with removable base). Using your hands, press the cake base until the bottom of the cake tin is covered. Make the dough a bit high on the sides as well and set aside. Keep the remaining dough for later.
- How to pit plums: Take one plum at a time, (hold it with one hand) turn it upside down, such that the side with the stem is facing down. Cut from top lengthwise in a cross form until the middle part of the plum. Extend just one cut to the bottom.
- Open the plum at the side with the longest line and remove the pit. In the end end you should have a plum with interconnected quarters. Repeat the process until you have used up all the plums. You could also use a plum stoner if you have one.
- How to make the pudding (vanilla yogurt cream) for the filling: Combine milk, vanilla sugar and cornstarch (cornflour) in a small pot or sauce pan. Keep stirring until it starts to bubble and has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. After cooling the pudding for few minutes, add strained yogurt and mix very well.Preheat the oven to 180 ° C (356 °F), with both top and bottom heat.
- Layer and bake the plum cake: Spread the pudding over the base. Smooth with a spoon or spatula. Gently arrange the plums close to each other on the pudding with the cut side facing up, as shown on the photos. If you have some leftover plums once you’re done arranging them on the cream, just divide them with your hands and fill the openings.
- Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sugar over the top of the plums. Then crumble the remaining dough evenly over the top and bake for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes remove the from the oven and let it cool completely. Lightly dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- It’s very important that you let the cake cool completely before cutting.
- Feel free to use other fruits such as blackberries, gooseberries or apples instead of plums.
- Substitute Greek yogurt with sour cream, Schmand or cream cheese if you like.
Did you make this German plum streusel cake with vanilla cream? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a comment and add rating to it.
Jp
Monday 3rd of October 2022
Overall very good but the milk and starch pudding base was very bland and needed a lot of work to improve texture and flavor besides the addition of high quality Icelandic yogurt and the bit of vanilla. Is that pudding base actually traditional or a lower fat adaptation? Or just my preferences? A Swiss friend made a version with creme fraiche - what is the traditional German recipe
Kathi
Thursday 25th of August 2022
That looks amazing! You are a food artist!