Taste: Spiced Cherry Crumble Cake

Summer is just around the corner and, as always, it brings an abundance of delicious fruit. In South Tyrol, there is practically a cherry tree in the courtyard of every farmhouse. Cherries are wonderful eaten straight from the tree, but they are also used to prepare jams and desserts.

In South Tyrol, cherries are used for sweet dumplings and strudel, but there is also a simple and irresistible recipe: cherry crumble cake, or “Struselkuchen.” This cake can also be made with other fruits such as apples or plums; in this version, we use cherries.

It is a spiced recipe reminiscent of strudel, thanks to cinnamon and cloves, aromas typical of our alpine valleys.

Quantities for a 20 x 25 cm baking pan

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 350 g flour
• 140 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla baking powder
• 100 g cold butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp jam of your choice (preferably lemon)

For the filling:

• 500 g cherries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a few cloves
• a pinch of nutmeg

Method

First, pit the cherries and place them in a small saucepan with the spices. Cook over low heat for a few minutes (no more than 7–8 minutes so they remain whole). Let cool.

Prepare the dough by placing the flour, sugar, butter, and egg in a bowl and rubbing everything together with your hands until you obtain large crumbs.

Press half of the mixture firmly into a baking pan (25 x 20 cm) lined with baking paper, forming a small edge around the sides. Spread the jam over the base, then add the spiced cherries, making sure to cover evenly. Rub the remaining dough between your hands and sprinkle it over the top to create a crumble layer.

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes.

Image: Spiced Cherry Crumble Cake, Courtesy Giallo Zafferano