Quetsch Plum Streusel - The Alsatian Crumble Cake Recipe

Streusel - a Cornerstone of Alsatian Baking

The word Streusel comes from the German streuen, meaning "to sprinkle" or "to scatter". It refers both to the crumble topping scattered over the cake and to the cake itself. In Alsace, Streusel is an institution: it appears on Christmas markets, in village bakeries, on Sunday tables and in winstubs as a seasonal dessert. Its base is a yeasted dough - lighter and softer than a classic shortcrust pastry - on which seasonal fruit rests before being covered with the characteristic crumbly topping. Quetsch plums, with their melting flesh and natural acidity, are the quintessential Alsatian fruit for this preparation.

Quetsch Plum Season in Alsace

Quetsch plums are elongated plums with an intense violet skin and yellow-green flesh, slightly tart and very fragrant. Their season is short - from late August to October - and Alsatians eagerly await them every year. As soon as they appear on the market stalls, kitchens come alive: tarts, jams, eau-de-vie, chutneys and of course Streusel. Alsatian quetsch plums, grown mainly in the orchards of the Vosges foothills, are renowned for their superior flavour. Failing these, Lorraine mirabelles or Italian plums make good alternatives for this cake.

The Traditional Recipe

Ingredients for the yeasted dough (for a 30 cm tin)

• 300 g plain flour
• 60 g sugar
• 1 sachet dried yeast (7 g)
• 120 ml lukewarm milk
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt

Ingredients for the topping

• 800 g fresh quetsch plums, stoned
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for the Streusel

• 150 g plain flour
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g cold butter, diced
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch of cinnamon

Making the Yeasted Dough

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and leave for 10 minutes until frothy. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the eggs, melted butter and the milk-yeast mixture. Knead until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Making the Streusel

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold diced butter and rub together with your fingertips until you have a sandy, lumpy mixture - it should not be homogeneous; the irregularities create the crispiness of the Streusel. Keep in the fridge.

Assembly and Baking

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the yeasted dough on a buttered baking tray or in a tin. Arrange the stoned quetsch plums in tight rows, cut side up. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Scatter the Streusel generously over the fruit, covering the entire surface. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the Streusel is golden and the plums are soft. Leave to cool slightly before eating - Streusel is eaten warm or at room temperature, never hot.

Variations and Tips

Streusel can be varied endlessly with the seasons and personal taste:

• Mirabelle Streusel: replace the quetsch plums with mirabelles for a sweeter, more fragrant result - a Lorraine variation much appreciated in Alsace
• Apple and cinnamon Streusel: a winter version with thinly sliced Reinette apples, a splash of calvados and a generous dose of cinnamon
• Cherry Streusel: a summer version with stoned Alsatian cherries - tart and fragrant, they produce a wonderfully fresh Streusel
• Extra crunch tip: for an even crispier Streusel, add 50 g of flaked almonds or crushed hazelnuts to the crumble mixture
• Extra softness tip: for an even lighter dough, replace part of the milk with crème fraîche

Serving and Storage

Quetsch Streusel is best eaten on the day, still slightly warm, with a spoonful of thick crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The next day it will be softer but the Streusel will have lost some of its crunch - a quick 5 minutes back in the oven will revive it. It keeps for 2 days at room temperature under a clean cloth, or 3 days in the fridge. For drinks, a glass of Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives or a lightly sweet Pinot Gris pairs beautifully with this fruity, spiced cake.

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Streusel in the Alsatian Tradition

Beyond the recipe, Streusel is a strong cultural marker in Alsace. It appears at every village festival in summer and autumn, on the tables of the Kerb (patron saint festivals) and in family kitchens from September onwards. Every family has its own version - some add a custard layer under the fruit for extra creaminess, others flavour the yeasted dough with lemon zest, others fold walnuts into the Streusel. These infinite variations make Streusel one of the most vibrant and personal cakes in Alsatian baking - a recipe to be made your own and handed down.

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