Bavarian Sugar Cake Recipes

ZWETSCHGENDATSCHI (GERMAN PLUM SHEET CAKE)

Steps:

• Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix in 1 cup sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Add 1 1/3 cups butter and eggs. Knead everything into a smooth dough. Shape dough into a ball, press flat, cover, and chill in the refrigerator 1 hour to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with butter.
• Cut halved plums in half again, without cutting all the way through, so they fan out.
• Roll pastry dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Line the bottom and sides of the prepared baking sheet with dough. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Arrange plums side by side on the pastry dough; very small plums should overlap. Dot plums with 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and almonds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastry crust is lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow plum cake to cool, then cut into squares. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.

BAVARIAN SUGAR CAKE

Steps:

• Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your bread machine. Program the machine for Dough or Manual cycle and press Start. Check the dough after about 10 minutes and adjust the consistency by adding flour or water as needed; the dough should be fairly sticky and slack. (I added a couple Tbsp water).
• When the machine has completed the cycle, remove the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. (I let it rise an extra 40 minutes after the cycle was complete and then I turned it out onto a buttered pastry board not floured and let it rest for about 10 minutes before rolling out).
• Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Press the dough into the prepared pan with your fingers, stretching it to cover the bottom of the pan. (I rolled it out on buttered pastry board first and then fit it into the pan).
• Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it is doubled in bulk, 30 to 45 minutes. With two fingers, punch deep holes all over the dough. (When punching holes in dough, if holes do not remain, it has not risen enough).
• In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle it over the dough. Drizzle the cream evenly on top.
• Bake the cake in a preheated 350º oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden color. Remove cake from oven, and serve it warm from pan.

CHOCOLATE BAVARIAN TORTE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two 9-in. round baking pans. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Fold in cream. , Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with a fourth of the cream mixture. Sprinkle with a fourth of the chocolate. Repeat layers 3 times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.