Kirsch Streuselkuchen. Cherry Crumble Cake. We've got a lovely butter cake and a thick blanket of crunchy Streusel crumble, hiding a layer of juicy sour cherries. It's an easy cake made with store cupboard ingredients. Serve it in thick slices for afternoon tea, or drenched in hot custard for total winter indulgence!
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| Kirsch Streuselkuchen - Cherry Crumble Cake |
I first made this cherry crumble cake as a winter version of my beloved plum crumble cake. Plums might be out of season now, but I pretty much always have a jar of morello cherries in the pantry, and need only the flimsiest of excuses to make a cake, especially one covered in loads of buttery Streusel!
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| Kirsch Streuselkuchen - Cherry Crumble Cake |
It's an easy cake - the Streusel comes together quickly using an electric mixer, and the butter cake base can be made in the same mixer, no need to wash it out in between. I use the all-in-one method for the base, and it just takes a few minutes. Into the tin goes the cake batter, then the cherries, then the Streusel. Easy.
I love the gleaming claret-coloured cherries!
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| Sour cherry layer |
But I really love the buttery Streusel!
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| Streusel / Crumble Layer |
And here it is, baked! I could stare at that Streuselscape for hours.
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| Kirsch Streuselkuchen - Cherry Crumble Cake |
I used one 670 gram jar of morello cherries, and you'll see that my layer of cake was quite thick compared to the cherries - if you prefer more fruit, I think the batter could definitely handle two jars. The higher ratio of cherries-to-cake would also make it more German, rather than my more modest Anglo-style thin cherry layer.
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| Kirsch Streuselkuchen - Cherry Crumble Cake |
I made this cake as dessert for a German-themed lunch the other day. We had our friends Chantelle and Steve over, and wanted to treat them with a German meal. Steve is originally from Wisconsin, which had big waves of German settler population in the 19th century, and I'm told that the German culinary influence remains to this day. Since he's moved to Australia he's been missing those German flavours. This was definitely something we could help with! Sandra made a feast of Käsespätzle, bratwurst and frankfurter sausages, cucumber salad and red cabbage, with loads of curry ketchup and mustard. So lecker!
I was in charge of dessert, and I wanted to keep in with the German theme, but it's been so cold lately that I wanted to make it more like a hot pudding. So I served the cake warm, and drowned it in hot freshly made vanilla custard to serve. Absolute heaven! I suggest you do the same.
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| Kirsch Streuselkuchen mit Vanillesoße - Cherry Crumble Cake with Custard |
Kirsch Streuselkuchen
A recipe by Sarah Cooks
Ingredients
For the Streusel
150 grams plain flour
75 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 grams unsalted buter, softened
For the Kuchen
125 grams unsalted butter, softened
100 grams sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
250 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
For the Kirsch
1-2 x 670 gram jars morello cherries
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 23 or 25cm springform tin with baking paper.
To make the Streusel, place the plain flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together in sandy clumps. Tip the Streusel mixture into a separate bowl and set aside. Scrape the mixing bowl and the beater as best you can, but there's no need to wash it before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
To make the Kuchen, place all ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer, and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until smoothly combined, light and fluffy. Spread the batter evenly in the base of the prepared tin. (The batter will be thick but the layer will be quite thin). Drain the cherries and scatter them evenly over the batter. Pour the crumble over the cherries.
Bake for 30-50 minutes, or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. You may need to cover the cake with foil if it is browning too quickly.
Allow to cool in the tin on a rack for 10-20 minutes, then unmould.
Serve warm with hot custard, or at room temperature with whipped cream.
Makes 1 x 23 or 25cm cake
Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below! Tag me on Instagram @sarahcooksblog and hashtag #sarahcooksblog
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1 comments
I remember that plum cake! In fact I used the streusel recipe in a cake I was experimenting with the other day. It's SO delicious :D
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