Plum Kuchen
July 29th, 2009
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Kuchen means cake in German. There are as many different kinds of kuchen as there are kinds of cake.
I saw this recipe for upside-down plum kuchen in the latest issue of Gourmet Magazine, and I just had veganize it. I’m glad I did, because the cake base of this kuchen might now be my favorite coffee cake base ever. It’s light and fluffy, and like my Slow Rise Pancakes, it uses yeast instead of baking powder or baking soda for leavening. I really love the clean, rich flavor of yeast-raised goods, so when I looked at this particular recipe I knew I had to make an animal-friendly version.
They used plums in the Gourmet version, so when I found tiny, sweet organic plums at the Copley Farmers Market here in Boston, it was kismet. However, I’m not sure I’d recommend you use plums in yours.
Here’s the thing. The plums themselves are very sweet, but I noticed a mild bitterness in the skins, even when I ate them fresh. After baking, the bitterness intensified. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s similar to the bitterness of marmalade. If you really love the combination of sweet and bitter in a fruit, then go for the plums. If you’re not sure, choose another stone fruit; peaches or cherries would be completely divine in this. On second thought, I think nearly any bake-able fruit would be great.
Because this is a yeast-risen cake, it does take a while. Two hours for the first rise and ninety minutes for the second rise means this isn’t a fast dessert. If you’re looking for a quick coffee cake, try this crumb cake instead. But the flavor and texture of this kuchen really make all the time worthwhile.
Plum Kuchen (adapted from Gourmet Magazine, Aug 2009)
Makes One 9×9 Cake
1 Packet Active-Dry Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 Cup Warm Water (105-110º F)
2 Cups plus 2 Tbs All-Purpose Flour, divided
1 Cup Sugar, divided
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup plus 1 Tbs Tofutti Sour Cream (or plain vegan yogurt)
2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer Powder mixed with 3 Tbs Hot Water
1 1/2 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine, divided
3/4 lbs Firm-Ripe Plums or other Stone Fruit, halved and pitted
Combine the yeast with the warm water and set aside to proof until foamy.
In a mixing bowl (one that fits in a stand mixer, if you have one), combine the yeast with 2 cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, sour cream, egg replacer, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
Beat at low speed to combine the ingredients, then mix at medium speed for 5 minutes while adding in 1/2 cup of Earth Balance, one tablespoon at a time. Beat the batter for five minutes at medium speed until smooth and shiny, and very sticky.
After five minutes, remove the bowl from the mixer and top with the remaining 2 Tbs of flour. Do not mix it in. Cover the bowl with a non-terry cloth kitchen towel and set aside to rise for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
After the first rise, mix the the dough to combine the flour on the top.
With the remaining 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance, grease a 9×9 cake pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in the bottom of the pan.
Halve and pit the plums. It may be easier to cut around the pits, rather than to pull them out, if your fruit is very ripe.
Slice the pitted plum halves into five or six slices. I left mine whole because they were very small. Place cut-side down into the sugar, covering the bottom of the pan.
Pour the dough over the plums and let raise for another 90 minutes, covered with oiled plastic wrap.
Preheat oven to 375º F.
Bake the kuchen for 35 minutes, until evenly golden and slightly cracked.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife and turn out onto a rack to cool completely before serving.
Entry Filed under: baked goods, dessert, recipe
77 Comments Add your own
1. molly | July 29th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
this looks so good, i wish it would cool down so i could bake!
2. Tessa | July 30th, 2009 at 12:28 am
This looks delicious and beautiful! I want to try making it! Thanks for posting the recipe :-)
3. Chris | July 30th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Fruit and cake… oh. my mouth is watering. Too bad I’m living in an inferno at the moment. I’ll save this one for the end of the heat wave.
4. Apeksha | July 30th, 2009 at 1:29 am
this sounds delish! have to try it!
5. Samuel | July 30th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Did you just achieve a way of conveying the joys of sex through pictures? Jesus, that thing looks absolutely amazing.
Thanks for all your hard work, you do great stuff. I’ll be buying your book soon enough.
6. snooky doodle | July 30th, 2009 at 2:11 am
oh it surely looks divine! Intreseting that you use yeast instead of baking powder. must be delicious. I don t like plums either too bitter.
7. manu | July 30th, 2009 at 3:06 am
hmm, i think i might use damsons for this recipe. they are not bitter (at least the ones i know from germany) and they bake nicely. pretty pretty pictures – thank you so much for the veganized version of this recipe!
8. Jojo | July 30th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Yum, that sure does look delicious!
9. Rose | July 30th, 2009 at 4:42 am
Yum! It looks fabulous!
10. DJ | July 30th, 2009 at 4:52 am
That looks superb! I love plums in baked goods!
11. Andrea [bella eats] | July 30th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Those plums are so beautiful! I think I’ll try this recipe with the plethora of blackberries I’ve got right now…
12. Kandi | July 30th, 2009 at 5:27 am
That looks SO GOOD!
I love your blog, it makes me so inspired (and hungry)
13. VeganPower | July 30th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Mmmm so delicious !
I have the ingredients, except fruit ahahahaha
I think try this wonderful recipe.
14. Lauren Zembron | July 30th, 2009 at 6:55 am
This looks absolutely delicious. What a perfect summertime treat!
Believe it or not, I haven’t made it to the Copley Farmer’s Market yet this summer (I live in Kenmore Square, so it’s not far at all). I MUST get there sometime soon!
15. Andrea | July 30th, 2009 at 7:00 am
These are killer photos. It’s almost enough to make me use the peaches we have sitting on the counter. If only I had time right now… Maybe next month with blackberries!
16. Ellen (Peace in Motion) | July 30th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Looks absolutely wonderful!
17. ABowlOfMush | July 30th, 2009 at 8:56 am
I will have to try this sometime soon! It looks heavenly!
18. Shelby | July 30th, 2009 at 9:06 am
That looks delicious, but come on…anything you make is phenomenal!!!
19. Sat | July 30th, 2009 at 10:06 am
This looks delicious. You might want to try pluots instead of plums since they have all the sweetness of the plum flesh but without the bitterness of the skin.
20. Arinn | July 30th, 2009 at 11:11 am
This looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try it. <3
21. Bianca- Vegan Crunk | July 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I bet yeast in a cake tastes wonderful. I love that flavor in breads. I keep meaning to try your pancakes too!
22. Marion | July 30th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I really need to try this one, it looks delicious!
23. Mary | July 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Those are some mighty petite plums you had there. This sounds great. We don’t have plums at our farmers’ market yet, but I’d love to try this with cherries.
24. Paige | July 30th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I saw this in a friend’s copy of Gourmet! It looked so good, but I didn’t want to put forth the energy experimenting to veganize it. Thanks! Now I’ll be sure to make it.
25. tara | July 30th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I had some peaches in the house the other day, and I had been thinking of substituting them into this recipe! I had ended up going in a different direction, but so happy to see someone else try it. I’ll be making this soon.
26. tess | July 30th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Hi! This is exactly what I’m in the mood to eat & bake! Do you have any tips for getting this started the night before, to eat for breakfast? Could you do both rises so it’s ready to stick in the oven in the morning, or just the first? Thanks!
If it was me, I’d do the first rise and then place it in the fridge overnight for a slow second rise. Take it out in the morning and let it sit out for 30 minutes to get the chill off, the bake! I haven’t tested that method with this particular recipe, but it should work. Just make sure you don’t overproof it, or it might deflate!
27. Marisa | July 30th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Mmm…Pflaumkuchen! Been looking for a vegan version of a German family favorite…and I just happen to have all these plums from my CSA! Please keep the German recipes coming…
28. Raisa | July 31st, 2009 at 8:01 am
Wow – I am so glad to this was posted just in time for when I wanted to make a plum kuchen for my schwester as a housewarming cake.
I will try it this weekend!
Thank you!
PS I also appreciate veganized German recipes!
29. Nicole | July 31st, 2009 at 8:44 am
Beautiful photographs! I must admit, I probably won’t make this anytime soon because of the time it takes for yeast to rise (thanks for the link to the crumb cake recipe instead), but I did enjoy dreaming about the day I’ll finally get to try it.
30. Maka | July 31st, 2009 at 10:29 am
Beautiful cake! I am wondering, I have a fig tree that is going to give a lot of fruit very soon. Do you think these will work? Also, I want to can and freeze these, have you ever done this?
31. Carolyn Blakeney | July 31st, 2009 at 5:40 pm
My Mom and Granny used to make kuchens, they were the best, but they usually used peaches (I think they did yeast doughs). Are these plums too small to blanch, so you could slip off the skins? I’ve never blanched plums so don’t know if it would work. But they are so beautiful it would be worth having a little bitter with the sweet!
32. Rusty M. | August 1st, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Just got my copy of Vegetarian Times and I just don’t know which doughnut to make first!! You are the bomb! Can’t wait to get a copy of your cookbook. Keep up the great work.
33. MsMarmitelover | August 2nd, 2009 at 8:47 am
Wonder if it’s possible to make a plum clafoutis?
34. Aurica | August 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
I’m from Germany and I love Pflaumenkuchen. :)
I never made an upside-down cake, so I’ll give this one a try.
35. The Actors Diet | August 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
gorgeous as usual!
36. JeriPhi | August 2nd, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Not sure if you’ve mentioned this in previous recipes or not; but you may think about clarifying that if someone really wants to do a vegan sweet, that the majority of white sugars are NOT vegan. They use bone char to make sugar white. So just using a regular ol’ store bought white granulated sugar is not animal-friendly.
Do you know if this recipe works well with turbinado sugar? How about beet sugar?
37. Jaclyn | August 3rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
thanks for the recipe! this look delicious and the pictures are just gorgeous. i have never made a coffee cake… but I might have to try this one.
38. Josiane | August 4th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
First time I hear of a yeast-risen cake; that’s a great idea! It must be delicious. I’m really looking forward to trying it out!
39. Lisa W. | August 5th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Beautiful photos!
40. Eliza | August 5th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Your pictures are amazing. I will be on the lookout for those interesting, tiny little plums.
41. Ashley | August 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
This cake sounds really awesome, though as much as I love plums I don’t think I’d like the bitterness of the skins intensified when baked. I’ll definitely have to try it since you said it’s your favourite coffee cake ever!
42. Mike | August 9th, 2009 at 1:20 am
I made this today. It was fabulous! Thank you again for the glorious blog!
43. Carrie | August 10th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Absolutely divine!
44. Eileen | August 10th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I made it, it was great! I peeled some of the skins off the plums and left some on for color. It didn’t turn out bitter at all, but I still got a nice sweet/sour flavor. I love the soft inside and crusty outside. Thanks!
45. Jackie Ford | August 11th, 2009 at 5:53 am
Looks and sounds so delicious.
46. gourmandelise | August 11th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Quelle merveilleux site qui regorge de belles photos et de superbes recettes! Félicitations!!!!
47. Jeanee | August 11th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
I just found your site. I LOVE IT!!!
My husband and I are veggies and your recipes look awesome! Your photos are breathtaking.
Good luck on your book! I admire you quitting your job and doing what you love full time.
48. Dips | August 12th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
hii..Ive got this small award for you on my blog..please check..
49. Christina Whiskhands | August 14th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Woo! I just bought a pound of plums because they were gorgeous and now I know what to do with them…
… and your book just shipped ;) I can’t wait!
50. sarah | August 15th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
that sounds soooo tasty :)
51. Vegan Bites: Vick, Cancer&hellip | August 19th, 2009 at 7:40 am
[...] Vegan Food: Plum Cake recipe and photos here >> [...]
52. BethanyA | August 20th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I did this- FREAKING DELICIOUS
I used victoria plums (they might be called something different in America) and skinned them, HMMM
53. walti | August 25th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Back from my vacation I am catching up on your yummy yummy recipes! Thanks for you “Zwetschgen-Datschi” that’s the Bavarian synonym for plum kuchen ;-)). We’ll have it next Sutarday!
54. darlene foss | August 26th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I used petite fresh plums, with the skins on, and my husband and I were unable to eat the plum crisp which I baked. The bitterness from the skins was unbelievably unpalatable! It looked and smelled so good. What a shame it was to have tossed it away.I Will try the blanching method and let you know what the outcome is. Your site is wonderful! I found it with my Yahoo search engine,questioning, why oh why did this happen to our plums!!! lol
55. Megan Gordon | August 30th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Wow! I just discovered your blog–apparently I’ve been living under a rock. It’s stunning. Beautiful photos, wonderful recipes. I lived in Boston, too–so nice to read about a Boston vegan taking over the world! Rock on.
56. Raisa Jari | August 31st, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I made this kuchen on the weekend and loved it! I used the small blue plums cut in half and they tasted amazing – not bitter at all. I also used blended silken tofu with a little lemon juice instead of a packaged sour cream or yogurt which I don’t buy.
57. Katharina | August 31st, 2009 at 2:03 pm
The word kuchen definitely got me to look at this recipe! German cakes are the BEST! They let the flavors shine through and just sugar. Your end result looks delicious and beautiful.
58. ellen | September 1st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I’m not vegan and I don’t know all that much about it, but why is yeast ok for vegans to eat?
59. Sherri | September 4th, 2009 at 1:26 am
I’m part German and growing up, this was a family favorite. I just recently crossed over to the dark side (went vegan). I cannot wait to try this out. Thank you so much for this recipe. I know I will love it! Oh and one more thing: Kudos to you on your book; in my opinion, it is the best vegan cookbook I have seen.
60. Edie | September 7th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Hi there- what a wonderful site! I just made this tonight for tomorrow’s breakfast!
@36- I used turbinado and demara sugar in the recipe; you can also use maple syrup. Select carefully the type of sugar, because you will get a richer, darker flavor. However that will go wonderfully with plums, apricots and cherries. I would not advise using agave syrup, however.
Also, instead of Earth Balance shortening, I used coconut oil ( I grew up eating coconut oil) and that seemed fine. I also used saffron soaked in the water used to dissolve the yeast to give a festive color without eggs!
61. Carol(Knit-Picky Vegan) | September 9th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Kuchen – Oh—I love kuchen!!, and you posted this recipe on my birthday…yeah, I know, I’m just a little slow on keeping up with vegan blogs of interest. I’ve always really enjoyed cake with actual fruit, the flavors and textures completely compliment each other. Your photos are incredible, too…the green tomatoes are blindingly green – tomatoes so bright I gotta wear shades!
62. jenn | September 16th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
i saw the same recipe and immediately dog-ear’d it!! i plan to try it out this weekend! yours look abso-fab!
63. many happy moments «&hellip | September 30th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
[...] the last few weeks, I’ve seen plums pop up in magazines and on some of my favorite blogs, tempting me with their deep red-purple skin and sunset-hued flesh. I’d always [...]
64. need help with eggless ca&hellip | October 8th, 2009 at 11:42 am
[...] [...]
65. plum upside-down cake, ve&hellip | October 18th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
[...] Plum Kuchen from VeganYumYum. [...]
66. yasmina | October 27th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Looks delicious!
I can’t wait to try it out.
Please check out my blog! It has creative ideas and vegan recipes.
yasmina ( yasminaisafairy.wordpress.com )
67. , and a Fabulous Meal &la&hellip | October 28th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
[...] conclusion, a bit of sugary forshpeis: Plum Kuchen, Daifuku mochi, Mexican hot chocolate Snickerdoodles, Magical Coconut Cookie Bars, and, in honor of [...]
68. babyturtel | October 29th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I have baked the plumen kuchen,had a hard time waiting for the kuchen to cool.
Tasted it–and I like it alot.
Thank you for the recipy
69. babyturtel | October 29th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
sure wished there was a way to take a picture of my
plumen kuchen.
Thank you for letting me have fun to bake the kuchen.
and eat it to
70. Donna | November 16th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Thanks for the recipe. I also have a suggestion to eliminate the
bitterness that you refer to from the plum skins… just blanche the plums before using them and remove the skins before adding them
to the recipe. I would suggest doing the same for any fruit with a
thin skin like that as well. IE: peaches, apples, pears, etc. Blanching
gives a smoother texture to the fruit filling as well. :)
71. Jutta | November 24th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Thanks for all the delish recipes. Just made the green fried tomatoes.
I make Pflaumenkuchen, also Cherry, using the same recipe for both.
Your upside-down version looks nice and easy.
My version is right-side-up, namely: spread yeast dough into greased pan, layer w. “sour cream” mix, then pitted fruit, sprinkle w/sugar, and then –
an extra, DELICIOUS touch (especially fitting w /the cherry version):
Last layer is Streusels – mix vegan “butter” or margarine w/ sugar and enough flour to where you can tear off bits without it sticking to your fingers too much. Cover fruit with those streusels and the “piece de resistance” – drum roll-
Intersperse streusels with bits of ALMOND PASTE ( which is a marzipan base ingredient, readily available most good stores).
Bake ca. 35 – 40 min.
Never met anyone didn’t love it.
Since it is labor-intensive I make a pan of it at a time and freeze some for later. Works well.
Btw, my home town is ULM, Germany :)
72. Jutta | November 24th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Oops, make the last sentence “I make a BIG” pan of it at a time.
Also, instead of using sour cream mixture, can use vegan vanilla pudding. You can make a vegan pudding ,the blancmange homemade version, by mixing
1/2 c sugar
2 Tbsp corn starch or similar
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 c rice milk
Combine dry ingredients in microwaveable dish (I use 1 or 2 quart glass pan), stir in rice milk till smooth.
Zap at High for 3 min.
Stir. Zap for 3 more min, stirring after each minute.
Blend in 2 Tbsp. margarine or vegan “butter”
and 1 tsp vanilla.
Let cool. So easy.
I’m a pudding fan so I make this all the time. Chocolate version: Add 1 1/2 squares semi sweet chocolate OR 2 Tbsp cocoa to the dry ingredients, before adding milk.
73. Isa Lourenço | November 25th, 2009 at 7:08 am
I usually follow your blog that I like!
I made this cake and love at home!
http://paladaresdaisa.blogspot.com/2009/09/bolo-de-ameixa.html
74. happy belated x-mas &laqu&hellip | December 31st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
[...] dessert, I used Vegan Yum Yum’s veganized Gourmet recipe for plum kuchen, with cherries and apples instead of plums. It’s a yeasted cake so if you’re [...]
75. Charlot | January 19th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
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76. Jenny | February 2nd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
You seriously rock. I saw this recipe in Gourmet magazine and thought it looked beautiful and wondered how I could adapt it to be vegan-friendly. You are awesome!
77. Marilyn | March 2nd, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Plum kuchen is a staple in my German-heritage family. We use the European plums (e.g. Stanley, Italian or Damson varieties) which do not have bitter skins. The Japanese plums (e.g. Shiro) are not as good for baking.
We’d use your sweet yeast bread as a base, then put the plums on top in neat rows, cut side down. Drizzle with melted margarine, and sprinkle with sugar. The sugar forms a delicious crust.
Thanks for the recipe – I’ll try it “right side up” rather than “upside down” when I make it!
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