How to make a traditional Czech plum koláč this autumn

Plum season is here! There's no better way to use up your fall bounty than in this moist, crumble-topped cake

Eva Indruchova

Written by Eva Indruchova Published on 22.09.2020 09:35:00 (updated on 20.01.2021) Reading time: 1 minute

Food & Drink
Homemade autumn pie on a curd pastry with plums and a strawberry
Illustrative image: iStock photo / Ann_Zhuravleva

Plum season is underway, and there's no better time to try a selský švestkový koláč, or farmer's plum cake.

This classic cake recipe gets its foundation from a quick-and-easy yeast-based dough, and the remaining ingredients, mainly local, seasonal fruit, are layered into a baking tin (plech) and finished with a crumble. The result is a really moist, sweet cake tempered with tart plums.

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You can also spread a layer of Czech farmer's cheese over the dough before adding the plums to give it extra heft.

Ingredients

  • 21 g of fresh yeast
  • 350 g all-purpose (hladká) flour
  • 125 ml warm milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 50 ml oil
  • 50 g sugar
  • 250g of farmer's cheese "polotučný" or "tučný" tvaroh (optional)
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • Approx. 16 plums, halved and pitted

Instructions

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  • Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  • Prepare the yeast by crumbling it into a bit of warm milk.
  • Sift in the flour, add milk, eggs, oil, and sugar until a soft dough forms. Set aside for an hour.
  • Grease your tin and sprinkle with flour. Press the dough into the tin. If using, combine the farmer's cheese with one egg and spread over the bottom dough layer.
  • Distribute halved plums over the dough and sprinkle with crumble (mix together 50 g butter, 50 g sugar, 100 g all-purpose flour, pinch of salt and cinnamon using your fingers).
  •  Bake for about 15 minutes until crumble is golden-brown.

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Tip: While plums really are the classic choice for this beloved Czech coffee cake, feel free to substitute other harvest fruits including apples, pears, rhubarb, blueberries, or late summer greengages, in Czech "blumy".

You can also turn your plums into a highly addictive plum spread (povidla) or use them to make fruit dumplings.

For more recipes follow Happy Baking Tradition on Facebook and Instagram.

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