A delicious Streuselkuchen aka. streusel coffee cake always gets everyone around the table. This German Cherry Streusel Cake is no different here. As soon as the first piece of that cake is topped with a bit of heavy cream, the cake fight begins ;) So the cake comes with a warning. There could be riots around the table…
There are many versions of cherry cake out there. Even here on the blog, I already have a few cake recipes with delicious cherries. In summer, when cherries are on sale everywhere, we love to use them for baking… or simply snack on them all day long. They are great for that. If you prefer using them in a bake, you can check the list of recipes below. There are a few delicious cakes you could try…
Easy Cherry Star Galette
Easy Peasy Ricotta Cherry Cake
Cherry Streusel Cake
German Cherry Tart aka. Krischwähe
Cherry Upside Down Cake
Cherry Cheesecake Pie
Balsamic Cherry Pie
No matter how you use cherries in a recipe, the result is always delicious. For this streusel cake, I first boiled the cherries down into some kind of compote. Many cherry pie recipes are made in a similar way. The cherry compote/filling then is added to the cake base and topped with streusels. The result can be seen here ;)
Cooking the cherries beforehand turns them into a nice and compact filling. If you add cherries as they are to a cake or pie crust and bake it, they will soften, but not be as compact. This always leads to problems when trying to cut the cake or pie into slices. The cherries will go everywhere because there is nothing really holding them together ;P
This applies to pretty much every cake or pie that is filled with larger fruit pieces or large berries. Cherries, plums, peaches, etc. – if you can see that there are large cavities between the fruits while cutting them and throwing them into a bowl, you will most likely get a cake/pie that falls apart. If you boil fruits or berries, you will get something that is more homogenous… but make sure it’s not a runny mess. That won’t help either ;P Cook your filling first or cut fruits into very small pieces or very thin slices – that also helps with stability.
Depending on the cherries you use, you might need to adjust the amount of sugar for the filling slightly. Sour cherries, as the name suggests, need a little more sugar to balance out the tartness of the fruit. If you are already using sweet cherries, you can reduce the amount of sugar in the filling. Test a few of the cherries first and then decide.
There is already a small list of all things cherry in this article… but there is more ;) Two of my favorite recipes are also very popular with family and friends: my Cherry & Marzipan Streusel Shortbread Bars as well as my Classic Cherry Pie recipe. If you have any cherries left after this cake here, you should definitely try one of these as well ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the cherry filling:
35 oz. (1kg) sour cherries, pitted
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1.2 oz. (35g) cornstarch
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the streusels:
14 oz. (400g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 cup (230g) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium egg
Für die Kirschfüllung:
1kg Sauerkirschen, entsteint
150g Zucker
35g Speisestärke
60ml Wasser
1 EL Zitronensaft
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
Für die Streusel:
400g Mehl (Type 550)
100g Zucker
230g sehr weiche Butter
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
1 Ei (M)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Wash the cherries, drain, and pit them. Set aside.
2. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add the water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and stir until there are no more lumps visible. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook for a moment, then add the pitted cherries and mix in. Let the cherries simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure nothing burns. The cherries should become softer but not mushy – the liquid in the saucepan should have thickened nicely. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely. I always prepare the cherry filling a day in advance and store it in the fridge until needed.
3. Mix the flour and sugar for the streusels in a large bowl. Add the soft butter, vanilla extract, and egg. Work with your hands or a hand mixer with dough hooks and mix/knead until you get different-sized streusels.
4. Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) springform tin* with baking parchment and grease lightly. Transfer about 2/3 of the streusels to the springform tin and press them to the bottom and sides – the dough crust should be about halfway up the sides of the springform tin. Place the baking tin and the streusels in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Pour the cherry filling into the prepared springform tin and sprinkle the remaining streusels evenly on top. Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes. The streusels should have been colored nicely. Remove the cherry cake from the oven and let cool down completely inside the baking tin. The cake tastes great with a little whipped cream or vanilla sauce.
1. Die Kirschen waschen, abtropfen lassen und dann entsteinen. Zur Seite stellen.
2. Zucker und Stärke in einem großen Topf vermischen. Wasser, Zitronensaft und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und glatt rühren – es sollten keine Klümpchen mehr zu sehen sein. Alles einmal kurz aufkochen lassen, dann die entsteinten Kirschen in den Topf dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Die Kirschen für etwa 8-10 Minuten köcheln lassen, dabei immer wieder umrühren, damit nichts anbrennt. Die Kirschen sollen weicher, aber nicht matschig werden – die Flüssigkeit im Topf sollte schön angedickt haben. Den Topf mit der Kirschfüllung vom Herd ziehen und komplett abkühlen lassen. Ich bereite die Kirschfüllung immer einen Tag vorab zu und lagere sie bis zur weiteren Verwendung im Kühlschrank.
3. Mehl und Zucker für die Streusel in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Die weiche Butter, Vanille Extrakt und das Ei dazugeben und alles zu Streuseln verarbeiten – entweder mit den Händen oder einem Handrührgerät mit Knethaken.
4. Eine 24cm Springform* mit Backpapier auslegen und leicht einfetten. Etwa 2/3 der Streusel in die Form schütten und dann am Boden und den Seiten festdrücken – der Rand sollte etwa halb so hoch wie der Rand der Backform sein. Die Backform und die Streusel für etwa 10 Minuten in den Kühlschrank stellen.
5. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Die Kirschfüllung in die vorbereitete Form füllen und die verbliebenen Streusel gleichmäßig darauf verteilen. Den Kuchen für etwa 40-45 Minuten backen. Die Streusel sollten schön Farbe bekommen haben. Den Kirschkuchen aus dem Ofen holen und in der Form komplett abkühlen lassen. Der Kuchen schmeckt prima mit etwas Schlagsahne oder Vanillesoße.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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German Cherry Streusel Cake
- Prep Time: 00:40
- Cook Time: 00:45
- Total Time: 04:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This classic German Cherry Streusel Cake is the perfect sweet treat for a summer party in the garden or park with family and friends.
Ingredients
For the cherry filling:
35 oz. (1kg) sour cherries, pitted
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1.2 oz. (35g) cornstarch
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the streusels:
14 oz. (400g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 cup (230g) butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium egg
Instructions
1. Wash the cherries, drain, and pit them. Set aside.
2. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add the water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and stir until there are no more lumps visible. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook for a moment, then add the pitted cherries and mix in. Let the cherries simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure nothing burns. The cherries should become softer but not mushy – the liquid in the saucepan should have thickened nicely. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely. I always prepare the cherry filling a day in advance and store it in the fridge until needed.
3. Mix the flour and sugar for the streusels in a large bowl. Add the soft butter, vanilla extract, and egg. Work with your hands or a hand mixer with dough hooks and mix/knead until you get different-sized streusels.
4. Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) springform tin* with baking parchment and grease lightly. Transfer about 2/3 of the streusels to the springform tin and press them to the bottom and sides – the dough crust should be about halfway up the sides of the springform tin. Place the baking tin and the streusels in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Pour the cherry filling into the prepared springform tin and sprinkle the remaining streusels evenly on top. Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes. The streusels should have been colored nicely. Remove the cherry cake from the oven and let cool down completely inside the baking tin. The cake tastes great with a little whipped cream or vanilla sauce.
Notes
Happy Baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
