Learn how to make these German Plum Crumb Bars and feel free to use whichever canned fruit you like. A wonderful, tasty German delicacy.
And I am back! From a wonderful vacation/visit to Paraguay, no less. If you are wondering where that is, Paraguay is a small land-locked country in South America.
Not the most obvious choice for a vacation location, but it is my husband's birth place. Konrad hadn't been back in 22 years, so we decided to combine our babymoon (last vacation before the baby comes) with a long, overdue visit.
A Well-Enjoyed & Unplugged Babymoon to Paraguay
I had the best of intentions to keep posting a few recipes while on this trip, but failed in the last step of actually posting/scheduling them. I tell you, once you get over the first couple of days of withdrawal (no social media etc.), the feeling of being 'unplugged' is quite exhilarating and addicting in its own way.
But now I am back refreshed, inspired, nicely thawed out (after 7 months of Canadian winter weather), and I brought cake - German Plum Crumb Bars to be specific. Which, by the way, is awesome and even makes great breakfast.
Apologies to everyone who had seen the cake on Instagram already and had to wait until now for the recipe. Let's get into it!
Using Yeast as the Bottom Layer
I'll tell you more about Paraguay and our trip in upcoming posts (lots of pictures that need sorting still), but today is about these plum cake bars. They are different from any similar North American recipes I have ever had because they use a yeast dough as the bottom layer. And it is delicious, let me tell you.
I promise it is not difficult and not too time consuming, especially if you do all your prep work in the rising time. You simply start by firstly preparing the yeast dough (I used the same recipe as for my sweet rolls but only used half the dough and froze the other half for another time).
Use Whichever Kind of Well-Drained, Canned Fruits You Prefer!
While the dough rises (about half an hour), you can prepare the fruit (cutting, pitting or draining if necessary) as well as the crumb topping.
My mom is an amazing canner. She preserves the flavor of summer for the whole year. For this cake, I used a jar of her canned, pitted plums - they have to be very well drained. They were pitted and cut in half.
Fresh plums work great, as well as many other fresh or well-drained canned fruits.
Recipe
German Plum Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 package 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup milk warm
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 2 cups pitted plums canned or fresh
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup butter in small cubes
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder/extract
Instructions
- Set aside ½ cup of the flour. Combine all other dough ingredients with the dough hook of your mixer until smooth and satiny. Only use remaining flour if needed.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft free spot for 30 minutes (it should about double in size). You can preheat your oven to 200 F, then turn the oven off and let the dough rise inside the warm oven.
- We are only using half of the yeast dough for this cake. You can wrap the other half and freeze for later use, or double the filling and crumb ingredients to make 2 crumb cakes.
- Roll out half the dough to cover the bottom of a lined or greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Let dough rise for another 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Drain plums well if using canned.
- To make the crumb topping, add all ingredients to a bowl and rub them together by hand into the butter until large crumbs form.
- Spread pitted plums over the dough and top with fairly large crumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes until crumbs are golden brown.
Pin German Plum Crumb Bars recipe for later?
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Check out these similar recipes!
- Almond Custard Pie with Plums
- Coconut Flour German Chocolate Cake Pancakes - Video
- Peach Plum Galette
Random Questions
Some of the typical German cakes include Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte), Bee Sting cake (Bienenstich), and Linzer Torte, among others. German cakes are known for their rich flavors, often incorporating ingredients like chocolate, fruits, nuts, and various creams.
The cost of plum cake can vary depending on various factors such as the quality of ingredients used, the complexity of the recipe, and the region where the cake is being produced. Additionally, the price may be influenced by the availability and seasonality of the plums used in the cake.
Plum cake, particularly the German version, is celebrated for its unique combination of flavors and textures. It often features a yeast-based dough that provides a light and fluffy base, topped with juicy and flavorful plums, and a crumbly, buttery streusel layer. The harmonious blend of sweet and tart flavors makes it a delightful treat.
Plum cake has a long history and has been enjoyed in various forms across different cultures. However, the German version of plum cake, known as "Pflaumenkuchen" or "Zwetschgenkuchen," is particularly renowned for its traditional preparation and cultural significance in Germany.
M.
I made this today with canned plums. It is very good, the whole family loves it! I'm going to try it with peaches next time.
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Thank you so much for your review. Peaches would be delicious in this cake!
Marti
Do you melt the butter first for the crumb topping? The recipe doesn’t say to do so, but my other recipe for NJ crumb buns (yeast cake base, crumb topping) calls for melting the butter first when preparing the crumb topping. Thoughts?
Regina | Leelalicious
No, I don't melt the butter. Though I should specify that it should be cut into small cubes. I find that I get better, larger crumbs by rubbing the dry ingredients into the butter pieces by hand.
Sarah
Have you ever made this recipe without the plums for a german crumb cake? I love your crumbs. They're perfect. My crumbs always melt away. Thanks.
Regina
I have never tried it without the fruit in the between but I think it would work just fine. Actually in that case I would probably double the amount of the bottom layer to have thicker bars
Jacquee @ I Sugar Coat It!
That topping looks screen-licking-worthy. Paraguay sounds like it was a good get-away. It's been on my hit list, so I'll need to consult with you when it comes time to plan a trip there.
Regina
Paraguay is not a very common tourist destination, but it is a very unique place with so much to explore. I will try to write a little more about our trip in the next couple of weeks.