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Bavarian Plum Cake
Bavaria is famous for its sweet baking. This unusual cake
is a cross between a sweet bread and a custard fruit tart.
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. 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.
Rising and proofing time
2–2^3 ⁄ 4 hrs
Special equipment
11in (28cm) tart pan
Ingredients
For the brioche dough
1½ tsp dried yeast
vegetable oil, for greasing
SERVES
8–10
35–40
MINS
50–55
MINS
UP TO 4
WEEKS
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