Oma's German Plum Cake (Streusel Pflaumenkuchen / Zwetschgenkuchen)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

Updated on December 13, 2025

Looking for a real German plum cake? This zwetschgenkuchen brings tender plums, buttery crumble, and simple homemade comfort in every bite.

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Yummy Plum Streusel Cake ... just like Oma made, with a super easy recipe.

This classic German plum cake goes by many names across Germany ... pflaumenkuchen, zwetschgenkuchen, zwetschgendatschi, even quetschekuche ... but no matter what you call it, it’s one of the recipes readers ask me for the most. This version skips the yeast, so it comes together quickly and brings all the tender plums and buttery streusel you remember.

Serve it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for your kaffeeklatsch.

Top Tips for Best Results

1. Use Ripe Plums: Choose slightly soft plums for the best flavor and color.
2. Pat Plums Dry: Too much moisture makes the base soggy. A quick pat with paper towel helps.
3. Chill the Streusel: A few minutes in the fridge makes the crumble bake up extra crisp.
4. Let it Rest Before Slicing: The juices settle as it cools, making cleaner slices and richer flavor.

A Quick Plum Cake the Whole Family Loves

German plum cakes come in every shape and style. Some with streusel, some without. Some on shortcrust, many on yeast dough. This one skips the fuss and uses a fast Quark-Öl dough that bakes up tender and delicious.

Since I can’t buy quark where I live, I experimented and found that Greek yogurt works beautifully. And here’s another great tip from one of my Facebook fans, Trudy Maynard. She swapped the Greek yogurt for 14% sour cream and, in her words, “It’s delicious.” When I’m in a hurry, this is the plum cake I reach for, and my family is always happy to see it.

If you want to use real quark, you can substitute it one-to-one. And if you can’t buy it in your area, you can even make your own. I show you how to make homemade quark here.

What Are The Best Plums To Use For Baking?

Well, the truth is … the best plums are simply the ones you can find. Plum season varies by region, and I haven’t yet met a fresh plum that doesn’t bake into a delicious cake. Each variety gives its own flavor, but all work beautifully.

The traditional choice for zwetschgenkuchen is the Italian plum, also called prune plums, empress plums, or European plums. They usually show up from late August to early October.

But don’t worry if you can’t find them. Black plums, red plums, or golden ones will all make a wonderful cake.

Turn these prune plums into a traditional German plum cake, made just like Oma with a super easy recipe.

Should You Peel Plums First?

No peeling needed. The skins add beautiful color and bake down into that lovely purplish-red hue, especially with Italian prune plums. Leave them on.

How Long Does Plum Cake Stay Fresh?

Most say Quark-Öl dough cakes should be eaten the same day, but I’ve found this version keeps wonderfully. The photo at the top of my page was taken on day three, and it was still delicious.

This dough stays fresher longer than a yeast base and is quicker for me to make, which is one reason I prefer it.

Leftovers go into the fridge after the second day. And yes, it freezes beautifully. Bake a few when plums are in season, freeze them, and enjoy “fresh” zwetschgenkuchen all winter long.

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Try It With Other Fruits or Jams

I had a little fun with this recipe and split the batter into two 9-inch springform pans. The front cake is topped with canned peaches and streusel, while the one in the back uses plum jam and streusel. Both turned out delicious. Don’t forget the whipped cream!

Peach Streusel (foreground) and Plum Jam Streusel Cakes served for Coffee time! What a yummy combo!

German Plum Cake Info

• The best plums to use for this are the Italian prune plums.
  
• Since they are quite tart, you can sprinkle the plums with sugar underneath the streusel layer if you wish.
• Some even like to include a sprinkle of cinnamon.

However, my hubby and I like it a bit tart, so I omit the extra sugar and cinnamon. But, do serve this with a dollop of whipped cream. WUNDERBAR! 

More Plum Cakes aka Pflaumenkuchen

Here are some different plum cakes to try:

• Grandma's German plum cake
  
• Dorka's double crusted plum cake
  
• German peach cake ... and substitute plums instead (uses yeast dough)
• Oma's plum cake

But, right below, is my favorite plum cake recipe ... it's so easy and so lecker!

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Oma's German Plum Cake (Streusel Pflaumenkuchen / Zwetschgenkuchen)

Looking for a real German plum cake? This zwetschgenkuchen brings tender plums, buttery crumble, and simple homemade comfort in every bite.

Prep Time:

15 minutes

Bake Time:

50 minutes

Total Time:

1 hour 5 minutes

Servings:

Makes 16 slices

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 2⅓ cups (304 grams) all-purpose flour 
• 3 teaspoons (12 grams) baking powder 
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla sugar 
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cup (123 grams) Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) milk or more as needed
• ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) neutral oil such as sunflower oil
• about 2 pounds (908 grams) fresh prune plums, pitted and quartered

For the Topping:

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (227 gram) cold unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch springform pans and set aside.
2. To make the cake, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the yogurt, milk, and oil to the flour mixture. Using either a dough hook, wooden spoon, or your hands, mix for a minute or so until the dough holds together, adding a bit more milk if needed. Knead lightly with your hands to form a ball. Do not overwork the dough.
4. Press the dough into the prepared pan(s). Put the plum wedges, skin side down, in rows on top of the dough. 
5. To make the topping, mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter and mix quickly to make crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the plums.
6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and place on a serving plate.

Notes/Hints:

• The amount of milk used in the dough is dependent upon the moisture content of the Greek yogurt. Add just enough milk for the dough to hold together.
• Instead of Greek yogurt, use 14% sour cream.
• If you want a sweeter cake, sprinkle a little extra sugar over top of the plums before covering with the streusel crumbs.
•  Instead of plums, put a layer of jam on the dough and cover with streusel.
• Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract along with the milk and oil.
• Substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of the vanilla sugar.
• Use this same easy dough and press it into a 9x13-inch pan. Cover with fresh peach slices, sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake for about 45 minutes.
• If you are wanting to use yeast, you can use this peach streusel cake recipe and just substitute with plums.

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Updated on December 13, 2025

Top Plum Cake Questions Answered

More cakes? Click here ->

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.