Sometimes I get the feeling that gooseberries seem a bit exotic to some people… Perhaps it’s because the season is relatively short, and the little berries aren’t available in every supermarket. Baking a delicious Gooseberry Streusel Coffee Cake like this one and tasting those berries always brings back childhood memories for me. We had a gooseberry bush in our garden, so we were always well-stocked.
We don’t have a gooseberry bush in the garden anymore these days. However, we do have a small gooseberry plant in a pot on the terrace. The little thing is actually bearing enough berries right now to make a cake – they just need to ripen fully. That should happen in a few days…
For this delicious cake, I had to rely on berries from the farmers’ market. During gooseberry season, that’s your best bet for finding not just gooseberries but a variety of colors as well. After all, these little guys come in shades ranging from light green to deep red. In terms of flavor, the color makes hardly any difference (as long as they are ripe), but I think the red berries look the prettiest in a cake. Of course, the cake turns out just as well with white or green gooseberries.
Making this cake here is incredibly simple. First, you mix up the streusel topping. I like using spelt flour instead of regular a/p flour here, though that’s really a matter of personal preference. Then, you need a simple sponge cake batter as the base. That’s basically it. You put the batter in the baking tin, arrange the washed gooseberries on top, and finish everything by covering the berries with the streusels.
As it bakes, the sponge batter becomes nice and fluffy, the gooseberries soften and bubble up here and there, and the streusels get a crispy texture. It’s a fairly simple cake, but sometimes those are the best kind, aren’t they? We love a good old »Streuselkuchen«!
In Germany, gooseberries are in peak season from June to August – far too short for my liking. Here’s a quick tip for checking ripeness: green varieties usually stay quite tart and firm even when ripe, whereas the characteristic sweetness really shines through in the reddish-yellow varieties.
By the way, gooseberries are packed with Vitamin C – more than lemons – and contain plenty of pectin, making them perfect for making jam. The berries release quite a bit of juice when baked. If your gooseberries are already very ripe and soft, it’s a good idea to toss them in a little flour before using them. Overripe berries soften faster during baking and release their juices more easily – while this isn’t a huge issue for the cake batter itself, it’s not ideal for the streusel topping.
You can do so much with gooseberries – one of my favorite cakes featuring these little berries is definitely our Ricotta Cake with Roasted Gooseberries. For this recipe, the berries are roasted in the oven beforehand. Some are folded into the cake, while the rest serve as a sort of compote you can serve on the side.
Another delicious option for gooseberries is a Rustic Gooseberry Cheesecake with a shortcrust pastry base and a creamy filling enriched with crème fraîche. It makes the cake a bit richer, but also incredibly tasty!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the streusels:
1 1/3 cups (175g) spelt flour*
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar*
1/4 cup (50g) sugar (fine)*
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (120g) butter
2 tbsp. almonds*, sliced
For the batter:
1/3 cup (80g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar (fine)*
1 large egg
3.5 oz. (100g) Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 cup (130g) spelt flour*
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
For the topping:
14 oz. (400g) fresh gooseberries
Für die Streusel:
180g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)*
50g brauner Zucker*
50g Zucker (fein)*
1/4 TL Zimt*
1/8 TL Salz
120g Butter
2 EL Mandelblättchen*
Für den Teig:
80g weiche Butter
100g Zucker (fein)*
1 Ei (L)
100g griechischen Joghurt
1 TL Vanille Extrakt*
130g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)*
1 1/4 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Salz
Für das Topping:
400g Stachelbeeren
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 23cm square baking pan* with some baking parchment and grease lightly. Set aside. Wash and drain the gooseberries. Remove the stems and any remaining blossom ends.
2. For the streusels add the flour, both sugars, ground cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter in small pieces. Rub everything between your fingers until you get different-sized streusel. Add the sliced almonds and mix to combine. Place the streusels in the fridge until needed.
3. For the batter add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract and mix them in. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the mixture to the bowl and fold it in with a rubber spatula until just combined.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin and smooth it out to get an even layer. Add the gooseberries on top and sprinkle the streusels all over. Bake the cake for about 50-52 minutes until the streusel got a nice color. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool down completely. Serve with some whipped cream. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine 23cm quadratische Backform* mit Backpapier auslegen und leicht einfetten. Zur Seite stellen. Die Stachelbeeren waschen, abtropfen lassen und dann von Stielen und Blütenresten befreien.
2. Das Mehl für die Streusel, beide Zuckersorten, Zimt und Salz in eine große Schüssel geben und vermischen. Die Butter in kleinen Stücken dazugeben und dann alles zwischen den Fingern verreiben, bis unterschiedlich große Streusel entstehen. Die Mandelblättchen dazugeben und untermischen. Bis zur weiteren Verwendung in den Kühlschrank stellen.
3. Butter und Zucker für den Teig in eine große Schüssel geben. Hell und luftig aufschlagen. Das Ei dazugeben und gut unterrühren. Griechischen Joghurt und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und ebenfalls unterrühren. Mehl, Backpulver und Salz vermischen, dann zur Schüssel dazugeben und mit einem Teigmischer unterheben.
4. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Backform schütten und glatt streichen. Die Stachelbeeren darauf verteilen und die Streusel gleichmäßig darüber streuen. Den Kuchen etwa 50-52 Minuten backen, bis die Streusel eine schöne Farbe bekommen haben. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und komplett abkühlen lassen. Mit etwas Schlagsahne servieren. In einem luftdichten Behälter bei Zimmertemperatur aufbewahren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Gooseberry Streusel Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:50
- Total Time: 01:30
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: -
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
It’s a cake we bake a lot in summer – we love this Gooseberry Streusel Coffee Cake. Easy to make and really delicious. A summer baking highlight!
Ingredients
For the streusels:
1 1/3 cups (175g) spelt flour*
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar*
1/4 cup (50g) sugar (fine)*
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (120g) butter
2 tbsp. almonds*, sliced
For the batter:
1/3 cup (80g) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar (fine)*
1 large egg
3.5 oz. (100g) Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 cup (130g) spelt flour*
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
For the topping:
14 oz. (400g) fresh gooseberries
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 23cm square baking pan* with some baking parchment and grease lightly. Set aside. Wash and drain the gooseberries. Remove the stems and any remaining blossom ends.
2. For the streusels add the flour, both sugars, ground cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter in small pieces. Rub everything between your fingers until you get different-sized streusel. Add the sliced almonds and mix to combine. Place the streusels in the fridge until needed.
3. For the batter add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract and mix them in. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the mixture to the bowl and fold it in with a rubber spatula until just combined.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin and smooth it out to get an even layer. Add the gooseberries on top and sprinkle the streusels all over. Bake the cake for about 50-52 minutes until the streusel got a nice color. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool down completely. Serve with some whipped cream. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
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