Bavarian Zwetschgendatschi – German Plum Sheet Cake (Tart) Recipe

Zwetschgendatschi is a German Plum tart dessert that my Bavarian Mutti made for as long as I can remember. This dessert is as traditional to Bavarians as apple pie is to Americans. The non-yeast crust is tender and buttery. Italian prunes (sometimes called Empress Plums) are seasonal autumn fruits. The fruit is seasoned with cinnamon-sugar and then baked. The yellow flesh turns into a beautiful purple color and are both sweet and tart. I look forward to making this Bavarian dessert every year!

BEFORE IS SHARE THIS RECIPE: There is another version of this recipe that uses a yeast dough, made with milk. Our Bavarian roots prefers a buttery tart dough, so this is the version that I make.

That’s a mouthful of a recipe name, isn’t it? “TCH-VENCHKEN-DATCHI” is as close as I can get to teaching non-Bavarians how to say that word. German Plum tart is probably a lot easier to remember.

My Bavarian Mutti made this dessert for as long as I can remember.  This dessert is as traditional to Bavarians as apple pie is to Americans.  To keep things authentic, I wait until August– when I call my local produce store and ask “do you have Italian prunes in stock”?  I hold my breath– and I feel a sense of joy when the answer is “yes”.  

Italian plum/prunes have a very short season– pretty much between August and September.  Last year, I waited too long, and there were none to be found.   

This year, I got really lucky!  Craig and I drove 90 minutes to Los Altos Hills to visit my Bavarian cousin.  Her Italian plum tree was full of ripe fruit– ready for the picking!  (The pink ribbons is an effort to keep her  neighborhood squirrels from stealing her fruit.)

She generously filled a big bag full of those precious fall fruits, so I could go home and make my own Zwetschgendatschi.

These two “cousins” (left and right of me) are 100% authentic Bavarians and haven’t lost their spunk being 95 and 80, respectively! They are very active ladies, with a hilarious zest for life.

I understand the Bavarian dialect, quiet fluently– though I admit that not being able to speak the language as I once did, with my Mutti, has left me a bit rusty.  Listening to two of my cousins, chatting away in Bavarian, kept me laughing and loving the dialect– the language is music to my ears, having grown up with it until my mother passed away in 2002.  Craig and I are headed to Bavaria and Austria in October, and we plan to stay in my mother’s hometown of Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria. I’m getting super excited about revisiting the city where I lived, as a very young child, for a few years.

After several fun-filled hours of enjoying a “Brotzeit” of Bavarian sausages, potato salad and beer, and a heaping plate of her delicious version of Zwetschgendatschi– we headed home with my precious plums. I could hardly wait to get started, the next morning!

One thing that the three of us agreed on, is that they much prefer a buttery tart-like dough, versus the more traditional yeast based dough. I used my cousin’s recipe for the tart dough, from her German Apricot Rahm Kuchen recipe that I posted a few years ago.  It’s a little fussy to work with, since it has egg yolks in it– but it’s so worth making. It’s tender and buttery… I’m drooling, just thinking about it.

I used a quarter-sheet pan to bake this dessert.  I had a few jars of homemade Kadota fig jam, and I like to spread a little just to help prevent a soggy crust. (You could use apricot jam, too.)
NOTE: I like to put parchment paper underneath, to help remove the slices more easily.

I kept the crust in the refrigerator and preheated the oven to 400F, while I prepared the fruit.

My mother always cut each plum in half, not quite cutting through.  She’d remove the seed, and cut each half into quarters– again, not slicing quite through. This created a “fan” of plums.  You can certainly quarter them all the way through, but some childhood habits are hard to break– as in my case!

Down to the home stretch… fill the crust with the fruit…

Generously brush with melted butter…

Generously sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Don’t be shy!

Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is a golden color. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar. Allow to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

This tart is ideal served at room temperature– or just slightly warm.  Incredible!

Please, whatever you do, make fresh whipped cream!  It’s a traditional garnish that goes hand-in-hand with this dessert, and helps to balance out the tartness of the fruit.

This is a childhood memory that brings me back to that moment in time– that blissful first bite of plum– just a tad bit tart, tangy, and then sweetened by the cinnamon-sugar.  The pastry… oh, the pastry… it’s tender, and flaky, and buttery…

 TASTING NOTES: I wish my mother was alive to have a taste of her recipe that I think would make her proud.  I have leftover plums that are begging for me to make another batch.  As soon as I post this recipe to share with all of you, the aroma of cinnamon and spice will be wafting from my oven.  I never tire of this dessert.  I hope you can find these plums, and that you will try this recipe.  If I’m lucky, I’ll find this dessert on a menu while we are in Bavaria.  I’ll be looking!

 A few years ago, I shared a shortcut recipe on making a “cheater pie” or galette with this fruit. You can view that recipe here.

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3.50 from 4 votes

Bavarian Zwetschgendatschi – German Plum Sheet Cake (Tart) Recipe

That’s a mouthful of a recipe name, isn’t it? “TCH-VENCHKEN-DATCHI” is as close as I can get to teaching non-Bavarians how to say that word. German Plum tart is probably a lot easier to remember.My Bavarian Mutti made this dessert for as long as I can remember. This dessert is as traditional to Bavarians as apple pie is to Americans. Rather than a traditional yeast dough, this crust is tender and buttery– with no yeast. Italian prunes (sometimes called Empress Plums) are seasonal autumn fruits. The fruit is seasoned with cinnamon-sugar and then baked. The yellow flesh turns into a beautiful purple color and are both sweet and tart. I look forward to making this Bavarian dessert every year!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Keyword: Bavarian Plum Tart, Italian Prunes, Plum Cake

Servings: 14

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

• 1/4 sheet pan
• 1 sheet parchment paper

Ingredients

Crust:

• 7 ounces flour about 1-1/2 cups
• 5 1/2 ounces unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 3 ounces sugar scant 1/2 cup
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 package vanilla sugar or 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla
• Zest small lemon or to taste

For the plum topping:

• 12 Italian prunes up to 14; in season only in Aug-Sep NOTE: Stanley Plums is another name for the prunes. Regular plums aren't the best substitute.
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 1/4 cup fig jam or apricot jam (optional)

Cinnamon-Sugar

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

Crust:

• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients and the lemon zest (the zest is optional, but I love the flavor it adds).
• Create a well in the middle and add the egg yolks (and vanilla, if not using vanilla sugar), lemon zest and the butter. Knead with fingers to combine. Using the heels of your hand, knead until all the ingredients are combined.
• Optional: I use my food processor, and use short pulses to combine– careful not to over mix.
• Generously flour the surface of the counter and the rolling pin, so the dough won’t stick.
• Roll into a rectangle shape, to fit the quarter pan sheet. Place the parchment paper on top of the dough, set the pan on top and flip.
• (Some of the dough will break apart, but just piece it back together with your fingers. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the plums.

For the plums:

• With a paring knife, cut along the “seam” of each plum, then pull the fruit apart, removing the seed. I prefer to cut each half into quarters, not quite all the way through– so that the plums fan into four pieces (it’s the way my mother taught me, and it’s how I continue to do it).
• Remove the crust from the fridge, and spread an even layer of jam. This step is optional, but I find that it helps to prevent a soggy crust.
• Begin layering the plums in even rows, overlapping them a bit, as they do shrink while baking.
• Brush melted butter over the plums and then generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake at 400°F for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges of the crust are a golden brown, and the plums are golden and bubbly.
• Sprinkle an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar.
• Allow to cool, ideally, until to room temperature. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream (or vanilla ice cream).

Notes

NOTE:  A yeast dough is another traditional way to make the bottom layer.  Our family prefers a buttery tart-like dough, so that is what I make.

I especially love a slice with my morning coffee!

This recipe has never been made with traditional plums. Italian prunes have a firmer texture and are the traditional fruit for this recipe.  You can make this as a “pie” or even as a “crostata” (free form pie). 

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 611IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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