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Overhead shot of traditional German Plum Cake on a wire rack

German Plum Cake

Learn how to make the best authentic German Plum Cake using my granny's easy fail-proof recipe! You will love this traditional plum dessert - moist, fluffy, and made with simple ingredients!  

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine germany
Keyword German Plum Cake, Plum Cake recipe, traditional German cake recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12
Calories 360 kcal

Ingredients

  • 160 g butter softened - 2/3 cups
  • 150 g of sugar 3/4 cups
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 big pinch salt
  • 4 eggs free range at room temperature
  • 200 g all purpose flour 1 1/4 cups - sifted together with the cornstarch
  • 50 g cornstarch 1/4 cups
  • 17 g baking powder 3 tsp
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
  • 5 tbsp heavy cream
  • 500 g plums or plums about 1 pound

topping

  • icing sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheated oven to 160 degrees and line a form with baking paper.
  2. Wash, pit and quarter the plums. Cream the softened butter with the sugar, vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl for at least 5 minutes until creamy white and fluffy.

  3. Gradually stir in the eggs one at a time for 1/2 minute each.
  4. SIFT the flour together with the baking powder, cinnamon (optional) and cornstarch and sift into a bowl. Then stir into the egg mix alternating with the cream.

  5. Now pour the batter in a prepared lined springform pan and smooth everything out. Arrange the fruits in a circle on top of the batter.

  6. Bake in the preheated oven ( place in the middle) for approx. 50 - 55 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

  7. When the baking time is over, take the cake out of the oven, let it cool down in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove the springform pan, place the cake on a wire rack and let it cool down. Serve dusted with icing sugar and whipped cream on the side.

Recipe Notes

  • When shopping for plums you should make sure that the fruits are ripe, firm, but not hard. 
  • If the plums give off a lot of juice when they are pitted, it is best to place them in a sieve to drain until the cake batter is prepared.
  • German plum cake tastes best when it is lukewarm.
  • Of course, you can also bake this traditional German cake recipe with other types of stone fruit. I imagine mirabelle plums, nectarines, cherries, peaches, red currants or apricots to be just wonderful in this.