German Orange Poppy Seed Sheet Cake with Plum Butter

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Moist German Orange Poppy Seed Sheet Cake filled with rum-spiked homemade German plum butter. This easy traditional German cake recipe comes together in minutes and is perfect for your next celebration! Pflaumenmus recipe included! Jump to Recipe 

German Poppy Seed Sheet Cake with Plum Butter! 

As a German gal, I love baking with poppy seeds! Have you tried my Poppy Seed Buns with Plums, my German Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake or my Vegan Poppyseed Cheesecake? So GOOD! 

Here is another classic German holiday cake recipe that will make your Christmas season so much cozier! I mean, a slice of this moist and tender orange poppy seed sheet cake paired with a mug of mulled wine…What’s not to love?

Different from many intricate German Christmas Cookies and holiday bakes this easy sheet cake recipe comes together in no time at all and uses simple ingredients. 

You will love the subtle orange flavor that pairs so well with the warming spices and the sweet yet tart plum jam.  I don’t often bake with oranges and now I’m seriously questioning why. Oranges add so much flavor to this gorgeous poppy seed sheet cake – it’s jumped to the top of my favorite German Bakes! 

What makes this sheet cake special is the German Plum Butter filling.

Plum Butter, you ask? Yes! 

In Europe, you can buy it at any store. In the Americas, I make it myself using damson plums (Italian plums or prune plums? In Germany, this plum spread is called Pflaumenmus, which is like a jam or plum butter used in many German or Eastern European recipes. Especially popular for all kinds of holiday sweets, and as a filing for brioche or my semolina dumplings.

Where to get European Style Plum Jam / Plum Butter? 

You can buy it online or make German plum jam aka plum butter at home using this easy traditional Pflaumenmus recipe:

 3 kg Italian plums
750 g sugar – half brown half white
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
some dark rum to taste

Wash prunes, let drain, and remove pits. Cut prunes into smaller pieces. and in a pan without any water cook them until they are somewhat soft, stir frequently. Puree the prunes with a hand blender and add spices.

Pre-heat oven to 350F (175 C)
Use a CLEAN sheet or roasting pan and fill in the warm prunes then add 200 g sugar , mix with a wooden spoon. Let cook for 30 min. Now remove sheet pan from oven and add 200 g sugar, mix well, place again in the oven for another 30 min. Lastly, add remaining sugar, mix well, place again in the oven and let it cook for 60 min, don’t mix until it’s done

When is my homemade plum butter done?

Use a wooden spoon and draw a line in the cooked caramelized prune plums. If you can see the line very well, the German plum butter is done. Add some rum if you like.
Place plum butter in jars that are rinsed with boiling water. Close with a lid and keep them for about 20 min upside down, then turn them into normal position.
Keep in a cold place.

Poppy Seed Cake Tips: 

• The traditional German version is made with German Plum Butter (see Pflaumenmus recipe above) but you can use plum preserves, plum jam or any other tart fruity jam.
• Store in a cake tin for 3-4 days. 
• Use orange juice or Cointreau instead of rum. 

Looking for more delicious German poppy seed cakes and desserts?

You’re in the right place!

• German Poppy Seed Marzipan Cookies
• Plum Coffee Cake
• Traditional German Cheesecake with Poppy Seeds 
• Poppy Seed Christmas Cookies with Plum Jam

★ Did you make and love this German Orange Poppy Seed Sheet Cake recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

5 from 1 vote

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German Orange Poppy Seed Cake with Plum Jam

Moist German Orange Poppy Seed Sheet Cake filled with rum-spiked plum jam. This easy traditional German cake recipe comes together in minutes and is perfect for your next celebration!

Course Dessert

Cuisine germany

Keyword cake with plum jam, German Poppy Seed Cake, orange poppy seed cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups AP flour 200 g
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cloves
• 3/4 cup almond flour 65 g
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
• pinch salt
• zest of 2 oranges
• 5 tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 sticks butter 226 g -- unsalted butter, softened
• 4 medium eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk 120 mL - room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla paste or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp orange juice freshly squeezed

For drizzle

• 2 tbsp rum
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice

For the glaze

• 1 cup plum jam
• 2 tbsp rum

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) square baking tin with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, almond flour and baking powder along with cinnamon and cloves. Add the sugar, salt, orange zest and poppy seeds, and mix until combined.
3. Add the softened butter and, using either a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer work the butter into the dry ingredients until you get a mixture resembling coarse breadcrumbs (or wet sand) in texture.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the room temperature eggs, milk, vanilla and orange juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry+butter mixture, and whisk/mix well until no flour clumps remain and everything is smooth.
5. Transfer the batter into the lined baking tin, smooth out the top, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 45 to 50 minutes or until risen, a bit golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. If the cake starts browning too quickly or too much, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.
7. Mix the drizzle ingredients.

8. Allow for the cake to cool in the baking tin for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Cut in the middle and open. Brush both sides with the rum orange drizzle.

9. Assemble: Heat the jam a bit in the microwave. Stir the warm jam and rum together until you get an even mixture.

10. Spread half of it over the bottom half of the cooled cake, spreading it evenly. Put on the upper half and brush with the remaining jam.
11. Sprinkle the cake with poppy seeds.

Recipe Notes

• The traditional German version is made with German Plum Butter (see Pflaumenmus recipe above) but you can use plum preserves, plum jam or any other tart fruity jam.
• Store in a cake tin for 3-4 days. 
• Use orange juice or Cointreau instead of rum.