I almost forgot about Oma’s Plum Platz recipe until my cousin called, excitedly telling me she and her sister had visited our aunt and were served the family plum Platz. Plums hold a special place in my memories, and as I’ve mentioned before, I even grow a plum tree in my garden because it shares the same name as the place I grew up in. I’m sure my cousins and I enjoyed many slices of plum Platz there. Now, I need to get the recipe and make it.
Oma’s Plum Platz turned out so delicious that I devoured two pieces at once and just had to share the recipe with you all. Platz, also spelled “ploatz,” is a type of yeast-based cheat cake. I would argue that platz is a distant cousin of pizza, with one originating in Germany and the other in Italy. You can make platz with many different toppings, whether sweet or savory, and it’s best enjoyed with your hands. Yum!
The specialty of my family’s recipe is the topping. Plum, or other fruit platz with streusel (crumbs) is widely known, and it is as I usually make it. It’s also very delicious.
However, Oma’s recipe adds a sugary, sour cream glaze. That topping brings the German plum cake to another level. It’s like plats plus cake in one.
This summer, we had a great plum harvest. I was so thankful that I froze some plums, which let me make a fresh plum cake later. It turned out wonderfully with the frozen plums. The key is to let the yeast dough rise before adding the frozen fruit. After that, don’t wait too long to finish preparing the cake and put it in the oven. Be sure to add about 5 minutes to the baking time, as the fruit needs to defrost and start baking.
The traditional recipe calls for sour cream and an egg, neither of which I had in my plant-based kitchen. However, that wasn’t an issue because I had a plant-based sour cream alternative and flax seeds to create a flax egg: 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Since plant-based sour cream is often denser, I needed to add some milk to my mixture to make it pourable.
For the base, I used the same dough recipe as my tried-and-true dinner rolls. If you have your own dinner roll recipe, feel free to use that instead. That’s the beauty of traditional recipes. On a baking day, one daughter had to do a lot. Spread the dough on a baking sheet and let it rise until doubled. Then, add the fruit and the topping before baking.
Oma’s Plum Plutz Recipe
- 50 gram oat bran or rolled oats (1/4 cup)
- 25-gram Earth Balance, or any fat of your choice
- ½ cup (120ml) boiled water (let the butter melt)
- ½ cup (120ml) cold water
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon instant yeast
- 275 grams = 10 ounces of flour
- 4 cups Plums, halved or quartered
- For the Glaze:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1cup flour
- 1 egg (or 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water)
- Vanile
- In a KitchenAid Stand Mixer bowl (or any mixer), whisk the oats, fat, and boiling water until the butter melts. Let it soak for about 15 minutes.
- Then add cold water, maple syrup, salt, and yeast, and whisk it all together.
- Add the flour.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes (it can also be done by hand).
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Knead for another 5 minutes (if kneading by hand, it might take longer; knead till the dough is ready).
- Cover the dough and let it rise till it is about double. (ca. 30 minutes).
- Press the dough into a pan lined with parchment paper
- Let it rest till it rises
- Layer the plums till the base is covered
- Mix the Glaze:
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
- Pour the glaze over the fruit
- Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes
Enjoy warm and fresh from the oven. The cake also freezes well. I like to slice it before freezing so I can take out individual pieces. To reheat, place a slice on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds.
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