German plum and regional dessert traditions

Traditional German dessert preparations involving plums have been highlighted, specifically focusing on seasonal specialties and crumble cakes.

One regional specialty from Thuringia, known as ‘Schlosserbuben’, consists of fresh plums filled with marzipan, coated in batter, and deep-fried. Other traditional preparations include Thuringian quark crumble cakes made with a single dough and a juicy plum crumble cake that utilizes a yeast-free batter and a cinnamon-almond topping.

Expanding on Thuringian culinary traditions, pastry chef and cookbook author Doreen Bergmann has shared professional techniques for traditional Thuringian onion cake (Zwiebelkuchen). Bergmann identifies the use of slightly sour milk, such as buttermilk, in the yeast dough as a ‘gamechanger’ for yeast activation. To prevent the dough from drying out, she recommends using top and bottom heat instead of convection during baking. The recipe is adaptable as either a vegetarian dish or one containing ham cubes.

Other regional variations of onion cake include the Swabian version, which is traditionally served in autumn with new wine and can be enhanced by adding leeks. Additionally, seasonal dessert trends have emerged in Austria, such as the introduction of ‘Krumble’ pop-up stores by Eis-Greissler, which brings a British-inspired fruit and crumble dessert concept to locations like Klagenfurt.