A traditional German open-faced yeast cake covered in halved Italian plums, baked until the fruit caramelises and the dough becomes soft and fragrant.
Zwetschgenkuchen is the taste of late German summer — a humble but magnificent open-faced yeast cake blanketed in Italian plums, perfumed with cinnamon and baked until the fruit collapses into a jammy, caramelised topping. Sold at every Bäckerei (bakery) and served at every Kaffee und Kuchen afternoon in late August and September when prune plums briefly come into season.
Serves 12
Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm milk, egg, and butter. Knead until smooth. Cover and prove 1 hour until doubled.
Press dough into a greased 30×40 cm baking tray.
Arrange plum halves cut-side up, overlapping slightly, in rows across the dough.
Rest 20 min. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 190 °C for 35–40 min until golden.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream.
Slightly overlap the plums so they stay upright — they shrink considerably during baking.
Weigh dry ingredients on a scale instead of using cups — grams are the difference between a tender and a tough crumb.
Bring eggs and dairy to room temperature before mixing; cold ingredients seize fats and produce a dense, uneven texture.
Read the recipe through once before starting — knowing what's coming prevents the small timing mistakes that compound into bigger ones.
Spread cream cheese under the plums
Add a streusel topping
Use cherries or apricots instead of plums
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Best the day it is made. Store at room temperature up to 2 days — do not refrigerate as it dries out the yeast base.
Zwetschgenkuchen is deeply embedded in southern German and Austrian baking culture. Italian prune plums (Zwetschgen) have been cultivated in Germany since Roman times, and baking them into a yeasted sheet cake has been a tradition for centuries.
Italian/prune plums (firmer, less juicy) work best — regular plums can make the dough too wet.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Authenticity sits on a spectrum — what matters more is honoring the technique and balance of flavors. If the dish tastes harmonious and respects how cooks in its home region would build it, you're on solid ground.
Per serving · 12 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes