Apricot Sheet Cake just like from Granny

My granny was the queen of yeast dough. I cannot recall a single time that her yeast dough was anything else but fluffy, soft, and most delicious. I will never forget her sheet cakes prepared with yeast dough. Complimented with lots of fruit and crumbs, they were always a highlight for me. In low German these sheet cakes are called “plautz” and they have always been one of my favorite. I especially liked trying the middle piece of any sheet cake. This piece gives you a lot of fruit, a lot of crumbs, with just about the right amount of dough. My granny didn’t mind giving me the middle piece of a sheet cake. Which I of course loved. I have been thinking about her famous sheet cakes for a while now. However, since she passed away recently, I knew I had to bake a cake since she was not going to. I inherited her recipe book, which I cherish. But unfortunately, I didn’t find a lot of yeast dough recipes. Probably because she knew it by heart.

I do remember her kneading the dough while she was sweating. “Jenny, you need to feel the right consistency.” Suddenly she would add more butter or an egg. If I asked her how she knew, she would reply “because I feel it.” I honestly never grasped that logic. I tried reasoning with her, asking what more butter or an egg would do to the dough and why it wasn’t right without. She couldn’t really give me any such reason. But one thing was certain, the final result would be delicious, light, fluffy, just perfect. So I consulted her recipe booklet in the hopes of finding a yeast dough recipe. I did. However, it gave the bare ingredients, there were no instructions, no oven temeprature, I assume she knew it by heart and didn’t need anything further. So I checked other recipes, gave them a go and finally settled on below recipe. It does not reach her satndards yet, but I think this is probably the closest I will ever get to her phenomenal yeast dough.

Granny, I will eat one more piece of this delicious apricot cake commemorating your baking abilities. I don’t know how many sheet cakes with yeast dough you made in your life, but I am sure those were plentiful. Maybe, when I turn 80, I will also be as good as you were and won’t need a recipe booklet, I will just “feel” the right consistency and may add further ingredients until the dough is just right. Cheers and to you, grandma!

Print Recipe

Apricot Sheet Cake with Crumbs

Serves: One sheet cake

Prep Time: 30min – Cooking Time: 40min – Total Time: 1hr 10min

This apricot sheet cake is made with yeast dough and is topped with apricots and crumbs.

Ingredients

• b>Yeast Dough
• 225 grams of milk
• Half a cube of fresh yeast, which equals 20 grams of about one package of active-dry yeast
• 500 grams high-gluten flour
• 100 grams of regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, see here how to make your own
• 80 grams of soft butter
• 1 egg
• 
  
• Filling
• 1.5 kilos of apricots
• 
  
• Crumbs
• 300 grams of all-purpose flour
• 120 grams of white sugar
• 175 grams of cold butter

Instructions

1

For the yeast doughheat the milk gently. It should be lukewarm. Yeast may like it warm, but just as your hand, it doesn't like it too hot. Check with your fingers that the milk isn't too hot. Crumble fresh yeast into the lukewarm milk. If you are working with dry yeast, you can skip the next step and just mix all ingredients.

2

Next weigh the flour and put into a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture into it, cover, and let sit for about 15min.

3

Then add all remaining ingredients of the dough and knead for about five minutes on low and about 5-7 minutes on second lowest. Knead dough with your hands for about a minute, lightly flour a bowl and place the dough inside formed into a ball. Cover with a damp towl and let sit for 2-3 hours or into it has doubled in size.

4

Meanwhile line a baking sheet with parchment paper and destone the apricots and slice into slices.

5

For the crumbs combine flour, sugar and butter and work into small crumbs. Chill until ready to use.

6

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. I like to move it onto the baking sheet and press into the right size with my hands. If it doesn't strech properly, wait a few minutes, it usually gets easier after a while.

7

Place the apricots slices onto the prepared dough and sprinkle with crumbs.

8

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for about 35-40min on middle rack.

Notes

Yeast dough tastes best served fresh. If kept in an airtight container, the slices will hold for one to two days.

P.S.: If you are interested in many more apricot recipes, check out this blog post.