Name: German Cherry Tart (Kirschwähe)
Prep time: PT-480158H8M
Cook time: PT-480158H8M
Total time: PT-480158H8M
Yield: 1
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: For the dough:; 5.6 oz. (160g) all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp. sugar; 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast; 4 tbsp. lukewarm milk; 1 tbsp. butter, softened; 1 medium egg; For the filling/topping:; 18-20 oz. (500-600g) cherries, pitted; 3 medium eggs; 1/4 cup (50g) sugar; 3.5 oz. (100g) sour cream (Schmand); 3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream; 2 tsp. vanilla extract; zest of 1 organic lemon; 2-3 tbsp. almonds, sliced; confectioners’ sugar for dusting

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If I ask someone here in Berlin if they know what “Kirschwähe” means, I will probably get the same looks like here… assuming you are not from southern Germany and know that name for a certain bake :P Well… it is the name for something delicious and only a small part of Germany uses this word. End of story… :P

Noo… not the end of the story, of course! It is just the beginning. So let me explain. You probably already figured out what kind of bake is called “Kirschwähe” ;) It is this delicious looking cherry tart with sliced almonds on top. If you know a bit about the German language, you might already know that “Kirsche” is the German word for “cherry” – but “Wähe”? That word is hardly used in the German language unless you live in the southern part of Germany close to the Swiss border. This is where the word is actually coming from. It is the name of a more or less oval-shaped piece of dough… similar to a pita bread maybe? Yeah… something like that ;)

So “Kirschwähe” basically means “a flat oval-ish shaped piece of dough with cherries on top” – my interpretation of the word in English :P You could also just call it “Cherry Tart” but who would ever want it to be so easy, right?! So we are talking about a delicious cherry tart. Fun fact: The word “Kirschwähe” is a word that combines German and Swiss German – if you would say it only in Swiss German, you would call this cherry tart a “Chriesiwähe”. Did I finally confuse you completely? Good! :P In Swiss German, you call cherries “Chriesi” instead of “Kirschen”. Believe me… if you grow up in the area I grew up, you learn so many weird things because of the two languages mix in so many ways…

Anyway. Those bakes called “Wähe” are not only limited to a cherry topping. You can basically use any topping that is in season… it can be sweet like cherries, apples or plums but there are also savory versions with onions, spinach, broccoli or zucchini, for example. The dough of the “Wähe” can also vary from recipe to recipe. I used a yeast-based dough which is common in the area I grew up, but others use doughs similar to pie dough or maybe some kind of puff pastry dough. What all of those different styles have in common, is the filling based on eggs and milk (or heavy cream). No matter if you go sweet or savory ;)

Note: Since this recipe is using a yeast dough, it needs some resting time. If you experience problems with the dough when rolling out, let it rest some more. That normally helps the dough to relax and you can roll it out easier. The base for this tart is similar to a deep-dish pizza ;) When shaping the base you want the sides to be slightly bigger and bulkier so they can keep the filling inside. If the dough got “out of shape” in the second proofing round, you should press it again up the sides so the crust is high enough to keep the amount of filling you will make with this recipe.

We like eating this dish still a bit warm with homemade vanilla ice cream, but just some confectioners’ sugar sprinkled on top is also fine ;)

INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN

For the dough:
5.6 oz. (160g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
4 tbsp. lukewarm milk
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1 medium egg

For the filling/topping:
18-20 oz. (500-600g) cherries, pitted
3 medium eggs
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
3.5 oz. (100g) sour cream (Schmand)
3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1 organic lemon
2-3 tbsp. almonds, sliced

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Für den Teig:
160g Mehl (Type 550)
1 EL Zucker
1 1/2 TL Trockenhefe
4 EL lauwarme Milch
1 EL Butter (weich)
1 Ei (M)

Für die Füllung/Belag:
500-600g Kirschen, entsteint
3 Eier (M)
50g Zucker
100g Schmand
100g Schlagsahne
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
1 Abrieb von Bio-Zitrone
2-3 EL Mandeln, gehobelt

Puderzucker (zum Bestäuben)

DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG

1. For the dough add the flour, sugar, and dry yeast to a large bowl and mix. Add milk, butter, and the egg and knead everything for about 5-6 minutes until you get a nice smooth dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 50-60 minutes.

2. Grease a large tart form/pie dish (10 inches/26cm) or line with baking parchment. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about the size of the baking form. Place in the baking form and press to the sides and pull up to create nice edges with a hight of about 0.8-1.2 inches (2-3cm). Cover and let rise once more for about 30 minutes. Wash the cherries, let dry and pit.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl until slightly foamy. Add sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and mix until well combined. Distribute the cherries evenly on top of the dough in an even layer (you might have to pull the edges up again) and pour the filling on top to cover the cherries. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and bake in the lower third of the oven for 45-50 minutes until the edges are golden and the filling has set. In case the cake gets too dark cover with some aluminum foil. Take out of the oven and let cool down completely on a wire rack. Dust with some confectioners’ sugar and serve with some whipped cream.

1. Für den Teig das Mehl mit dem Zucker und der Trockenhefe in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Milch, Butter und Ei dazugeben und alles in 5-6 Minuten zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Abdecken und ca. 50-60 Minuten an einem warmen Ort gehen lassen.

2. Eine 26cm (10 inches) Tarteform/Pieform einfetten oder mit Backpapier auslegen. Den Teig auf einer bemehlten Fläche etwa so groß wie die Form ausrollen, in die Form legen und einen 2-3cm (0.8-1.2 inches) hohen Rand ziehen. Den Teig noch einmal abdecken und für etwa 30 Minuten an einem warmen Ort gehen lassen. Die Kirschen waschen, abtropfen lassen und entsteinen.

3. Den Backofen auf 180°C (350°F) vorheizen. Die Eier mit dem Zucker in einer großen Schüssel aufschlagen. Schmand, Sahne, Vanille Extrakt und Zitronenabrieb dazugeben und alles gut verrühren. Die Kirschen auf dem Teig verteilen, den Teigrand ggf. noch eimal nach oben ziehen, alls er etwas runtergerutscht sein sollte und dann die Eiermischung über die Kirschen schütten. Die gehobelten Mandeln darüber streuen und im unteren Drittel des Ofens für etwa 45-50 Minuten backen. Sollte die Kirschwähe beim Backen zu dunkel werden, mit etwas Alufolie abdecken. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen. Vor dem Servieren mit etwas Puderzucker bestreuen und mit Schlagsahne servieren.

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.