Blueberry Streusel Kuchen

I had some beautiful farm market blueberries and decided to go to my favorite kuchen recipe which is adapted from a German version.  The original recipe called for quark, but I used ricotta.  Sour cream or yogurt will also work fine.  The cake base is covered with an easy, cooked blueberry sauce …. …and topped with a delicious streusel … This makes a lovely breakfast or dessert cake, served warm or room temperature.

• Servings: 6
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Blueberry topping

• 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Kuchen

• 3 Tblsp. canola oil
• 3 Tblsp. ricotta cheese, yogurt or sour cream
• 3 Tblsp. milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup plus
• 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour

Streusel

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tblsp. light brown sugar
• 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 2 Tblsp. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray or grease an 8-inch baking pan

To make blueberry topping: In a medium saucepan, place blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch and water.  Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and mixture just begins to bubble.  Remove from heat – stir in vanilla.   Set aside.

To make kuchen: In a medium bowl, place the oil, ricotta/sour cream, milk, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Whisk until blended.  Stir in flour just until mixed well.  Batter will be thick – spread batter in prepared 8-inch pan, using fingertips dampened with water to push the batter in place.

To make streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar and granulated sugar.  Mix in the butter until mixture is blended. Spread the reserved blueberry mixture on top of the batter and then cover with streusel. Bake @ 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes until cake is browned on edges and beginning to brown on top. Serve warm or room temperature.  Yield:  6 servings

New York Style Crumb Cake

In the 1960s, we used to buy some wonderful streusel-topped squares at a little bakery in Oakley (suburb of Cincinnati). Everyone loved the thick topping and I’ve never found a streusel quite like the one from the old German bakery. This one comes very close, although I believe the bakery squares were made with yeast rather than being a quick bread. This is truly a quick bread to put together to get really good results. The cake is soft and tender and the topping is crunchy and sweet. We used it today as our Sunday dessert. The recipe was adapted from one on Fake Ginger.

• Servings: 6-9
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Crumb topping:

• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ¾ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cake:

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 6 Tblsp. butter, softened
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup plus 2 Tblsp. sour cream
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×9 pan.

Make the crumb topping first:

Mix both sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed. Spread out a large sheet of parchment paper on a flat pan and spread this mixture out on the parchment paper to dry while mixing the cake.

To make the cake:

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until just incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time, beating only until incorporated and scraping down the bowl each time.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. The dough is quite stiff and by wetting your fingertips with water, you can spread the dough evenly in the pan.

Use your hand to scoop up a handful of topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in pea-sized chunks and drop them all over the cake. Use all of the topping, sprinkling the crumbs on the top of the cake evenly.

Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6-9 servings  [/recipe]

Irish Apple Scone Cake

I first saw this recipe on Joy of Baking last summer and bookmarked it as a nice St. Patrick’s Day breakfast item.  The original recipe is here.  The only changes I made were to use thinly sliced apples and to omit an egg used to brush the top of the cake.  Please note that this is a quick bread, not a cake.  It is best when served warm from the oven.  Leftovers can be reheated in the oven.

APPLE SCONE CAKE

• Servings: Makes one 9-inch cake
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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:

• 1 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 3-1/2 cups of peeled, thinly sliced apples
• 3 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Topping:

• Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Butter a 9″ pie pan

From the 1/2 cup of milk, remove 1 Tblsp. for brushing cake.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Blend the butter into the flour mixture until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, the remaining milk and the vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until the dough comes together.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently four or five times and then divide dough in half.  Pat one half of the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.

In a separate bowl, toss together the apple slices, sugar and cinnamon.  Spread the apples evenly over the bottom  of the dough in the pie pan.

Roll the remaining dough into a 9″ circle on a lightly floured surface and gently place the dough over the apples.  Seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts with your fingers.

Brush the top of the dough with the reserved 1 Tblsp. of milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Cut a slit in the center of the dough to allow the steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes until pastry is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack to cool slightly.  Serve warm – clotted cream would be nice with this. 

When my daughter and I were in Ireland in 1995, we visited a Folk Farm where two ladies were demonstrating making a huge apple dish and now I wonder if it might have been a large version of the Apple Scone Cake.