Dakota Style Plum Cakes Kuchens Recipes

PLUM KUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 7x11-inch baking dish.
• Beat 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons margarine together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix eggs, 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt into creamed margarine mixture; stir in vanilla. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Arrange plums, skin side-down, atop batter.
• Mix 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 3 tablespoons margarine, and cinnamon together in a bowl until crumbly; spoon over batter and plums.
• Bake in the preheated oven until plums are softened, about 35 minutes.

FRESH PLUM KUCHEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine flour and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add lemon zest. Pour into a greased 10-in. springform pan. Arrange plums on top; gently press into batter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. , Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; remove sides. Cool on a wire rack.

PLUM CUSTARD KUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 tablespoons whipping cream and 1 egg. Press in bottom of ungreased 9-inch square pan and arrange plums over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. While cake is baking, in a bowl, combine 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 egg. Beat well, and pour mixture over plums and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until custard is set. Serve warm or cool. Store in refrigerator.

TRADITIONAL GERMAN PLUM CAKE (ZWETSCHGENKUCHEN)

Steps:

• Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Crumble yeast into well and mix it with 1 tablespoon of sugar, milk and some flour. This first yeast-mixture should be still fluid. Cover and let rise in warm place for 20 minutes.
• Add remaining sugar, melted butter, egg and a good pinch of salt and mix with yeast mixture and flour. Knead with floured hands until dough is peeling away from the side of the bowl and blistering. This step may take 10 minutes (or more). Use some additional flour, if dough is too sticky. At the end you should have a smooth dough.
• Cover and let rise in warm place for about 25 to 30 minutes or until dough has doubled.
• Meanwhile prepare the plums. Cut lengthwise and pit them. Cut the still connected plum halves once again lengthwise, but do not cut through. You should have a depitted plum which you can easily flatten.
• Grease backing tray. Dough is calculated for a baking tray of 11 3/4 x 15 inches.
• Remove yeast dough from bowl, knead once or twice and roll out on baking tray using a floured rolling pin. Along the sides of the baking tray form a border with yeast dough.
• Place plums on yeast dough in closely rows and press slightly into dough. Let rise again for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven (425 F, 220 C).
• Bake the plum cake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile mix sugar and ground cinnamon for topping.
• Remove plum cake from oven and sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Cut into 20 pieces and serve warm or cold with whipped cream.
• NOTE on Baker's yeast: If possible use fresh baker's yeast. But you can replace it by 1 1/2 packages dry yeast.
• NOTE on Damson Plums: a traditional German Plum Cake is made with the slightly tart and not too juicy Damson Plums. You can also use other plum varieties, but the plums shouldn't be over-ripped or too juicy. I have tried it with other plum varieties and have reduced amount of sugar in topping.
• NOTE on traditional German Plum Cake: in my opinion this cake has to be made with yeast dough. It takes more time to make than other doughs, but it is worthwhile. Don't be afraid of the juices. This cake has to be juicy!
• There are existing several names for this type of frutit cake in Germany: Zwetschgenkuchen, Pflaumenkuchen and in Bavaria Zwetschgendatschi. Zwetschgen is the German name for Damson plums.

PLUM KUCHEN

Steps:

• Stir together yeast and warm water in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
• Add 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, yogurt, egg, zest, and vanilla to yeast mixture and mix at medium-low speed 1 minute. Beat in 1 stick butter, 1 Tbsp at a time, until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Scrape down side of bowl and sprinkle dough with remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Spread remaining 2 tablespoons butter in bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Cut each plum half into 5 or 6 slices and arrange in 1 layer pan.
• Stir dough until flour is incorporated, then spread evenly over plums. Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Bake until kuchen is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then invert and unmold onto a rack to cool completely.

PLUM KUCHEN

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk and butter. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to the egg mixture and beat just until combined. , Pour into a greased 9-in. round baking pan. Place plums cut side up over batter. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

PLUM KUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and baking powder together.
• Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs; add 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 egg.
• Press in bottom of 9-inch square pan or pie pan and arrange plums on top.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• While this is baking, in a bowl combine heavy cream, sugar, egg and vanilla, using a whisk to beat together well.
• Pour mixture over plums and bake an additional 20-30 minutes, until custard is set.
• Serve warm or cool.
• Store in refrigerator.