Zwetschgendatschi!

Zwetschgendatschi is a Bavarian plum cake, and as well as being fun to say, the cake itself smells, looks and tastes beautiful due to the main ingredient- plums! Traditionally damson plums are used for this cake, but I used a mixture including mirabelle, victoria and damson plums which resulted in a very pretty and colorful cake.

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Ingredients:
21g fresh yeast
200ml lukewarm milk
60g granulated sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
60g butter, softened
400g all-purpose flour
1kg plums
100g chopped almonds
cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Method:
Mix the yeast with the milk and 1 teaspoon of the sugar, then let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Mix the remaining sugar, the egg and the salt with the yeast-mixture in a medium bowl, then add in the butter and sift over the flour, mixing until all ingredients are incorporated. 

Knead the mixture for a couple minutes either by hand or with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer, then cover the bowl with a cloth and place somewhere warm to rest and rise for about 45 minutes. (I usually use an oven which has been preheating for a short while and then switched off.)

Grease a 15x10x1" tray and knead the dough briefly before rolling out onto the tray.

Wash, halve, and stone the plums, then halve again. Place the plum pieces on the yeast base in thick rows, covering the entire cake, then sprinkle over the chopped almonds and cinnamon sugar. Cover and leave to rest for another 30 minutes, then bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for about 20-30 minutes.

Allow to cool a little on a wire rack, then cut into slices (it should make 12) before serving, preferably warm and with freshly whipped cream. Enjoy!