The Bavarian Plum Cake Recipe Bavaria is famous for its sweet baking. This unusual cake is a cross between a sweet bread and a custard fruit tart.

For the brioche dough

1½ tsp dried yeast

vegetable oil, for greasing

23⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

9 tbsp unsalted butter, plus

extra for greasing

For the filling:

2 tbsp dried bread crumbs

1lb 12½oz (875g) plums, pitted

and quartered

2 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

Method:

1 Sprinkle the yeast over ¼ cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, until dissolved. Lightly oil another bowl. Sift the flour on to a work surface. Make a well in the center and add the sugar, salt, yeast mixture, and eggs.

2 Work in the flour to form a soft dough, adding more flour if it is very sticky. Knead on a floured work surface for 10 minutes, until very elastic. Work in more flour as needed so that the dough is slightly sticky but peels easily from the work surface.

3 Pound the butter with a rolling pin to soften it. Add the butter to the dough; pinch and squeeze to mix it in, then knead until smooth. Shape into a ball and put it into the oiled bowl. Cover, and let rise in the refrigerator for 1½–2 hours, or overnight, until doubled in bulk.

4 Grease the tart pan. Knead the chilled brioche dough lightly to knock out the air. Flour the work surface; roll out the dough into a 13in (32cm) round. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and loosely drape it over the dish. Press the dough into the dish,and cut off any excess. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the dough. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat.

5 Arrange the plum wedges, cut side up, in concentric circles on the brioche shell. Let stand at room temperature for 30–45 minutes, until the dough is puffed.

6 Put the egg yolks and two-thirds of the sugar into a bowl. Pour in the heavy cream, whisk together, and set aside.

7 Sprinkle the plum wedges with the remaining sugar and bake the tart on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C). Ladle the custard mixture over the fruit, return the tart to the oven, and continue baking for 45–50 minutes longer, until the dough is browned, the fruit tender, and the custard just set. Let cool on a wire rack. 

8 Serve warm or at room temperature. STORE The tart will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.

BAKER’S TIP:
Baked custard should never be completely set when it is taken from the oven; instead, there should always be a slight wobble in the center when the pan is shaken, or the custard will be rubbery and hard rather than unctuous and yielding.

Bavarian Plum Cake Recipe