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German Plum Sheet Cake (Zwetschgendatschi)

This traditional German plum sheet cake recipe is the most delicious late summer dessert. It is gluten and dairy-free and Paleo compliant.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 16 pieces

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1.5 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 cup and 2 Tbsp cassava flour
  • 1 cup and 2 Tbsp arrow root flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 eggs (pasture-raised)
  • 3 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 4.4 lbs (prune plums) or Italian/European Plums, Zwetschgen about 50-60 small/medium prune plums (2 kilos)
  • 2 tsp coconut sugar (to sprinkle on the prune plums)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (to sprinkle on the prune plums)

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan carefully warm up the coconut milk to 105 - 115 degrees Fahrenheit or until it is warm to the touch. Add coconut sugar and stir well. Add yeast, mix and cover with a kitchen towel. To activate the yeast, let it rest for 5-10 minutes. It should become bigger in size. If nothing happens the coconut milk temperature is either too cold or too hot or the active dry yeast may be too old.
  • In the meantime mix the cassava flour, arrowroot, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the eggs with a whisk. Once the yeast mix has rested for 10 minutes add it to the eggs and mix well. Combine it with the flour mix to form a dough. Finally, add the coconut oil and mix well. The dough will be quite soft, something between a batter and a dough. Do not add more flour as this is the right consistency for this grain-free yeast dough.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Distribute the dough evenly onto the baking sheet. Cover with another baking sheet and let it rest in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
  • In the meantime take the stones out of the prune plums. You can either use a stone remover or simply slice the prune plums lengthwise with a sharp knife. Once you got rid of the stone cut the halves into two slices. In a small mixing bowl mix coconut sugar and cinnamon.
  • Once the dough has rested for one hour, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the prune plums on top of the dough in tight layers, halfway covering each other (see the picture in the post above). Sprinkle with coconut sugar and cinnamon mix.
  • Bake for 20- 30 minutes or until the prune plums are soft and the dough is golden brown.

Notes

Tip:
Prune plums are a specific type of plums. As you can see in the picture above they look different than the regular round plums you might be used to seeing in the grocery store. They are oval in shape, smaller and the color is dark purple and they are sometimes also called European plums. Unlike their bigger relatives, prune plums are freestone, meaning the pit is easily removed. Taste-wise they are different as well and therefore ideal for baking. The best place to get them will be at the farmers market. For this recipe, it is ideal to pick small prune plums that are ripe.