Go Back
Print
a slice of German Plum Cheesecake with Hazelnut Crumble Topping

German Plum Cheesecake with Crumble Topping

My German Plum Cheesecake with Crumble Topping is an impressive yet easy fall cake that you can make with fresh or frozen plums! Perfect for the holiday season!

Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword cheesecake with crumble topping, German Cheesecake recipe, plum cheesecake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 260 kcal

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

  • 250 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 150 g sugar 3/4 cup
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 170 g butter 3/4 cup
  • 2 tbsp cold water + 1 tbsp rum or just water
  • Some flour for rolling out the dough
  • Some butter for greasing the 9 inch pan
  • For the filling:
  • 600 g plums, halved and pitted (about 1.3 lbs) 5 cups
  • 750 g quark (or strained low-fat or no-fat Greek yogurt as a substitute or use cream cheese) 3 cups
  • 400 g crème fraîche or sour cream 1 3/4 cups
  • 150 ml heavy cream 2/3 cup
  • 2 packets vanilla pudding custard powder or 70 g / 1/2 cup cornstarch + 2 tsp vanilla extract as a substitute
  • 150 g 3/4 cup sugar

For the streusel:

  • 60 g butter 1/4 cup
  • 60 g sugar (preferably brown) 1/3 cup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 80 g chopped hazelnuts 2/3 cup
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 100 g all-purpose flour 3/4 cup

Instructions

  1. Prepare the shortcrust pastry: In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter in small pieces, water, and rum. Quickly knead everything with your hands or a hand mixer into a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  2. Prepare the filling: While the dough is chilling, wash, halve, and pit the plums. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-assisted). In a bowl, mix the quark and crème fraîche together. Combine the vanilla pudding powder with the sugar and add it to the quark mixture. Finally, stir in the cream until you have a smooth consistency.
  3. Make the streusel: Place the butter in a bowl and mix with sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour to form a crumbly dough. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts.
  4. Assemble the cake: Take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge and press it into a greased springform pan (Ø 26 cm), forming a 5 cm high edge. Prick the bottom several times with a fork to prevent it from rising while baking. Spread the quark filling evenly on the crust and smooth it out. Place the plum halves upright and close together in the filling.
  5. Add streusel and bake: Evenly distribute the streusel over the plums. Bake the cake on the lower rack of the preheated oven for about 65 minutes until golden brown. After baking, let the cake cool for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, to set properly and develop the flavors.

Recipe Video