Yeast Cake with Plums and Poppy Seeds

DOUGH INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  If using fresh yeast, we must first prepare the leaven. In 200 ml of lukewarm milk, mix one tablespoon of sugar and crumble the yeast into it, cover with a cloth and let it rise for 5 minutes.
• 2
  In the meantime, put all the other ingredients into a bowl, add the leaven to them, and knead a smooth and elastic dough by hand using a wooden spoon or in a mixer. The dough in this recipe is a bit looser. Well-kneaded dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a cloth and place it in a warmer, draft-free place. Let it rise for two hours.
• 3
  Spread the risen dough on a deeper baking tray 37 x 27 cm lined with baking paper. Cover with a cloth and let it rise again for 30 minutes.

FILLING INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Boil the ground poppy seeds with milk and sugar in a pot for about 5 minutes. Mix in the nuts, cinnamon, and rum. Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the cooled poppy seed mixture. If you like raisins, you can also add them to the filling.
• 2
  Wash the plums, pit them, and cut them in half.
• 3
  Spread the poppy seed filling on the dough, then arrange the plums cut side up. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 190°C. Towards the end of baking, heat the plum jam. Immediately after removing the baked cake from the oven, brush the plums with the heated jam using a pastry brush.