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Rischart's plum cake – Anyone who doesn't like plum cake is missing out on something special. I know this since I recently left Rischart's bakery again. Freshly baked cake in my hands, and brimming with new knowledge about what is arguably one of the best cakes in town. They answered questions like, "How is it made?", "What makes it so special?", and "Why does it taste so incredibly good at Rischart's?" You'll find the answers to these questions, and what makes a truly great cake, right here.
The plums are placed on the dough sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
Rischart's plum cake
Before we head into the bakery and get started on making Datschi, here are a few facts to give you an idea of the scale we're talking about at Rischart. At the beginning of Datschi season, around mid-June, 60 trays – each 80 by 40 centimeters – are made daily. Of these, 40 are classic Datschi made with yeast dough, and 20 are made with shortcrust pastry and topped with streusel on the plums. At the height of Datschi season, in August, more than twice as many trays are filled with fresh Datschi each day. At that point, 130 of each variety are delivered to the branches. If that doesn't quite put your finger on it: on average, around 90 to 100 trays are produced daily throughout Datschi season, which translates to roughly 2,400 Datschi per day. Of course, this requires a huge amount of flour, dough, plums, and other ingredients. In numbers: Between 600 and 800 kilograms (!) of plums are pitted, sliced, and placed by hand onto the cake bases at Rischart every day. Once the tents are taken down at the Theresienwiese, the plum cakes also disappear from the stores, and the season is over.
There's a lot to do to make sure everyone gets a slice of Datschi. 😉
This is how the perfect plum cake is made
Now, let's get to the plums. Mr. Rühle, head pastry chef at Rischart and expert on plum cakes, has been ensuring their perfect preparation at Rischart for over 40 years. Simply placing a few plums on a pastry base isn't enough for the perfect plum cake; there's more to it than that. Rischart distinguishes between the classic plum cake and the crumble plum cake – one with yeast dough, the other with shortcrust pastry. Once the dough is spread out on large stainless steel trays and has rested for a while, it's time to add the plums. The plums aren't simply placed on the dough, however; first, breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top (classic), or redcurrant jam is spread and then breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top (shortcrust pastry), creating a kind of "insulation." Mr. Rühle explained to me that the plums are so juicy and therefore moist that the approximately five- to seven-millimeter-thick dough would become soggy, and the plum cake would be mushy without this step. The thin layer of streusel/jam prevents this.
Here, the crumble datschi is topped with shortcrust pastry.
When topping the dough, the plums, pitted and split by a modern pitter, are inserted at precisely the right angle. They don't skimp on the plums, however, resulting in approximately four to five rows of juicy plums per slice of Datschi. Other producers are generally more sparing with the "most expensive" part of the Datschi – the plums – and lay them rather flat on the dough. At Rischart, they stand almost vertically on the dough. The result: a generous amount of plum. Delicious! Before we continue, a brief digression about plums. Strictly speaking, at the beginning of the season – from mid-June onwards – they use damson plums. Specifically, Italian ones. In a week or two, the fruit will be from Germany and will be classic damson plums – darker and slightly rounder than regular plums.
They don't skimp on the amount of fruit here.
Next… After topping, the Datschi goes into the oven. Depending on the thickness of the base, it bakes at approximately 240/245 degrees Celsius for 35 to 40 minutes. The Datschi is rotated in the oven to ensure even baking and that every slice tastes equally delicious. The Streusel Datschi is different; here, the streusel made from buttery shortcrust pastry is first sprinkled on top of the plum filling – and here, too, they don't skimp on the quantity. Once the Datschi is baked and cooled, a kind of jelly is added on top to give the Datschi and fruit a beautiful shine. A sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar completes the dish, and it's ready – arguably one of the best Datschis in town. But because I wanted to be absolutely sure that there really wasn't a better one to be found, I inquired further about what exactly makes Rischart's Datschi so special.
The perfect Datschi
That's what makes a good Datschi
The dough is absolutely crucial for a good Datschi. If the base isn't right, the whole Datschi will be a disaster. Rischart, of course, uses its own top-secret recipe that makes the base beautifully moist and firm, but not dry. The ideal foundation for plum Datschi. The plums must be of the highest quality and always come from wherever they are in season, ensuring they are nice and juicy and full of flavor. Currently, as mentioned, that's Italy, followed by Germany. In addition, Rischart uses an above-average amount of fruit, and only first-class produce ends up on their Datschi. To ensure you always get truly fresh Datschi, even if you buy it in the afternoon, Rischart produces and delivers Datschi in different time slots. This means you won't buy a Datschi in the afternoon that's been sitting around for hours; you'll always have fresh, moist cake in your bag. And another interesting point: Rischart uses a state-of-the-art ultrasonic cutter to slice their cakes. So, it's impossible for the pieces to be uneven in size, frayed, or squashed. I found that incredibly exciting and very "plum-friendly." 🙂 Quality control for each batch is also rigorously carried out, so any issues are immediately noticed. All in all, the price (€2.90 for a classic piece; €3.15 for a crumbly piece) is more than justified because the difference is simply unmistakable. I'm going to grab a piece right now... And for those who can't get enough of plums, I highly recommend trying the plum pastry with a marzipan center (€2.50), the plum-filled yeast dumpling (€2.60), or the brand-new plum roll with whipped cream (€3.60).
+++ This post was created in cooperation with Max Rischart's Backhaus KG. Thank you! +++
Contact for inquiries
Daschi desire? – Get e.g. here:
Rischart at Marienplatz | Marienplatz 18, 80331 Munich
Website
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm;
Sundays and public holidays 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
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Pictures:
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- There's a lot to do to make sure everyone gets a slice of Datschi. 😉
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- The plums are placed on the dough sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
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- They don't skimp on the amount of fruit here.
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- Here, the streusel datschi is topped with shortcrust pastry.
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