Zwetschge Kuchen / Käse Kuchen

Content, Dark, Food, Photography

This recipe is from my grandmother. The base is a yeast dough that can be used to make two different dessert cakes: Zwetschge (plum) Kuchen, Käse (cheese) Kuchen.

Prepare YeastPrepare Dough
– 3/4 cup warm water
– 1 tsp yeast 
– 1 tsp sugar



let foam up (about 15 mins)
– 1.5 cups flour
– 1.5 cups warm milk
– 0.5 cups sugar
– 1 egg
– pinch of salt
– mix
– add yeast/water mixture 
– add flour (about 2.5 cups for Zwetschge Kuchen, 3.5 for Käse kuchen; For Zwetschge kuchen add enough flour to make dough firm, but soft enough to be easily spread out on the baking tray) 
– mix
The dough recipe

Let dough sit in the mixing bowl for about an hour to hour-and-a-half (until double in size) in a warm place, covered with a damp dishcloth.

Zwetschge KuchenKäse Kuchen
– spread dough out on baking tray 
– top with plumbs (about 50), or blueberries, or streusel
– sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon
– bake about 30 mins @350F
– form dough into buns, filled with cheese 
– top with streusel 
– Bake at 350F for about 25-35 mins
Cake-specific instructions
Prepare CheesePrepare Streusel
– 500ml cheese
– 1 egg
– salt
– 1/2 cup raisons
– 1 tsp vanilla
– 1 scoop sugar
– 1 cup flour 
– 1/2 cup sugar
– 1/2 cup butter cut into pieces
– mix
Recipe for filling for Käse Kuchen / recipe for streusel, an alternative topping for plums

Notes:

When spreading dough out on tray (with hands) for zwetschge kuchen, sprinkle flour over dough surface and hands to prevent dough sticking to fingers; repeat as necessary.

To make käse kuchen, rollout dough to about 1/2 inch thickness, but, as with zwetschge kuchen, sprinkle first with flour to prevent dough from sticking to rolling pin (or hands if using hands). Cut into squares (about 2-3 inches), dab a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture in the middle and form dough square into a bun. Place formed buns on baking tray.