43 | 52 Pumpkin Crumb Cake

I love fall. Don't you?

All those colored leaves on the trees and on the streets, sunshine during the day, cuddling up with a blanket and burning some candles in the evening. Yes, I love it.

I'm also totally into fall vegetables. Like pumpkin.

(And yes, also: Happy Halloween!)

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

From Cooking Classy

For the crumbles

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pintch of salt

85 g (6 tablespoons) butter, melted

40 g (1/3 cup) pecans, chopped

For the cake

225 g (1 3/4 cups) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

55 g (1/4 cup) butter, softened

60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil

2 eggs

250 g (1 cup) pumpkin puree (see note below*)

50 g (3 tablespoons) sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the glaze (optional)

85 g (2/3 cup) powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

• For the crumbs, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in melted butter and combine until evenly moistened. Add pecans and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• For the cake, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Blend together sugars, butter, and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredients at slow speed and mix until just combined.
• Pour batter into your prepared baking pan and sprinkle crumbs evenly over batter. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
• For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar to thin or thicken if needed. Drizzle over cake. Allow glaze to set before cutting.

 

My modifications:

None. But I omitted the glaze. I actually did mean to make it but then totally forgot about it when were ready to dig in... 

The taste:

I think this might just be the perfect Pumpking Crumb Cake. Honestly. It's delicious (even without the glaze) and it is very moist and fluffy. I highly recommend you go to your kitchen after all the Halloween shenanigans are over and use up those pumpkins. Because yes, you can of course also *make your own pumpkin puree.

What's your favorite pumpkin baking recipe? 

Do you prefer Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Cake?

39 | 52 Spiced Pear Crumb Cake

I love fall. I really do.

That crisp cool air outside and cozy evenings at home involving blankets and candles.

And cake. Of course. Always.

This specific one is absolutely perfect for fall. You can taste the season in every bite.

Spiced Pear Crumb Cake

From The View from Great Island

For the filling:

4 ripe pears, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
juice of 1/2 lemon 

For the dough:
227g (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
145g (2/3 cup) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon allspice
260 g (2 cups) flour
55g (1/2 cup) pecans, chopped

For the glaze:
65g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

milk or cream to thin

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 
• Combine pears, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Set aside. 
• Cream butter the sugar until light and fluffy. Add salt and all spices and mix well. 
• Add flour and mix until just combined (don't worry if the dough is crumbly - it's supposed to be like that). 
• Press 2/3 of the dough mix into a prepared springform pan (23-25 cm / 9-10 in). 
• Spread the pears out evenly on top of the dough. 
• Add the pecans to the remaining dough and crumble it evenly over the pears. 
• Bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool completely before glazing. 
• For the glaze mix the sugar, nutmeg and as much milk or cream as you need to get a nice glaze consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake. 

 

My modifications:

None. 

The taste:

Autumnally delicious. Soul food. It will definitely warm you from the inside.

What's your favorite fall cake?

36 | 52 Poppyseed Quark Cake with Prunes and Cinnamon Crumbles

Another week, another plum recipe. (#sorrynotsorry)

'Tis the season. Of yummy purple, oval plums. Or prunes?

Yes, let's take a moment and talk about those plums/prunes.

Here in Switzerland (and Germanya and Austria), we love our Zwetschgen. And our Pflaumen, too.

According to the Wikipedia, Zwetschgen are a a subspecies of the plum (Pflaume).

Zwetschge = prune, or common plum = Prunus domestica subsp. domestica

Pflaume = (round) plum = Prunus domestica

The easiest way to keep them apart is actually their shape and color.

Zwetschgen are oval and very dark blue/purple, Pflaumen are bigger and round and of a lighter purple (or even yellow or red).

YAY! You might have even learned something new today!

If not - sorry to have bored you with all these German, English, and Latin terms...

Oh, but I forgot. This recipe also calls for Quark. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, follow this link... 

Poppyseed Quark Cake with Prunes and Cinnamon Crumbles

From Ich bin dann mal kurz in der Küche

For the bottom and crumbles
100 g (1 stick minus 1 tablespoon) butter, cold
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
180 g (1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon) flour

 

For the filling

250 g (8.8 oz) quark

1 egg

1 tablespoon cornstarch

50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

100 g (3.5 oz) poppyseeds, ground

Plus

1 teaspoon cinnamon

300 g (10.5) prunes/plums, halved and pitted

• For the bottom and crumbles, cut cold butter into pieces. Add remaining bottom/crumble ingredients and knead (with your hands) until you get a smooth dough. Let cool for 30 minutes.  
• For the filling, mix together all filling ingredients. 
• Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). 
• Put 2/3 of the bottom/crumbles dough evenly onto the bottoms of 2 small, round springform pans (20 cm/8 in). Spoon poppyseed filling over dough and distribute prune halves on top of it. 
• Combine the remaining dough for the crumbles with cinnamon and crumble over prunes. 
• Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before serving (and ideally serve the next day).

My modifications:

None. Except for using two (instead of one) 20 cm springform pans which was perfect for the amounts given.

The taste:

Good on the first day, definitely a lot better on the second day so try to be patient ;) 

I'm not the biggest fan of poppyseeds but I still liked it. It does taste more like fall than summer (at least to me) so save this for the end of plum season...

What's more commonly available where you live: Zwetschgen or Pflaumen?

Do you have a preference if you can buy both?

35 | 52 Whole Wheat Banana Streusel Muffins

You know the drill...

New banana recipe up on the blog = I needed to use up my overripe bananas ;)

But it's all good! 

Because that way we can all try many yummy banana baking recipes together. 

So: long live the overripe banana. 

Without it, the baking world would not be the same.

Whole Wheat Banana Streusel Muffins

Adapted from Baked by Rachel

For the muffins

60 g (1/4 cup) butter, softened

100 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

190 g (1 1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

For the streusel

65 g (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

60 g (1/4 cup) butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF). 
• For the streusel, whisk together dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly. Let cool in the fridge while you prepare the muffins.
• For the muffins, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and banana and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
• Fill your muffin tin with batter, then top with cold streusel - just crumble over the muffin batter.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

My modifications:

I halved the amount of sugar for the muffins (the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup granulated and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. With half the amount the muffins were still sweet enough. There was an additional glaze over the streusel in the original recipe which I omitted completely. I'm sure it would have been very yummy but I didn't miss it (and I have the feeling that I was eating something remotely healthy...).

The taste:

Healthy. But in a good way! Perfect for breakfast.

What is your favorite 'healthy' muffin recipe?

32 | 52 Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars

I know, I know...

This name is way too long.

Maybe we should call this week's recipe LBCSB?

Or something like: The Perfect Summer Treat?

No, not very convincing...

But no matter its name - it's just pure yumminess.

It combines everything you love (or at least everything I love):

Lemon. Blueberries. Cheesecake. Streusel.

Summer. Freshness. Yum.

So give these a try. And do let me know if you come up with a good, short name.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars

From Inspired Taste

For the crust

9 graham cracker rectangles

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

57 g (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

454 g (16 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

2 tablespoons lemon zest, grated

60 ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

150 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh blueberries

For the topping

1 cup light brown sugar

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

85 g (3/4 stick) butter, cold

• Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF). 
• For the crust, place graham crackers, sugar, and lemon zest into your food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse again until crumbs are moistened. If you don't have a food processor, make crumbs the old-fashioned way: place crackers in a plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin (or the like) until you get crumbs. Place crumbs in a bowl together with the remaining crust ingredients and stir until crumbs are moistened. 
• Press crumb mix into your prepared square pan (23 cm / 9 in) and bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes. 
• For the filling, mix together cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust and top with blueberries. 
• For the streusel topping, combine all ingredients with your hands until you have a (more or less) crumbly dough. Crumble over the filling. 
• Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool 1 hour at room temperature, then at least 1 hour in the fridge before serving.

My modifications:

None.

The taste:

Delicious! It really combines so many good things that you can't go wrong with it. And it tastes like pure summer. Not light but still refreshing.

What's your favorite baked summer treat?

17 | 52 Strawberry-Blueberry Crumb Bars

Fresh strawberries!

You just gotta do as much as you can using strawberries, while you can.

(Maybe in your part of the world you have fresh strawberries all year round but that's unfortunately not the case in Switzerland...)

And blueberries!

You just can't go wrong with blueberries.

Crumbs!

Yes! Always!

Sorry for the very boring pictures - I can't seem to shoot any good pictures before everything's eaten up lately...

Strawberry-Blueberry Crumb Bars

Adapted from the baker upstairs

200 g (1 cup) sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

375 g (3 cups) flour

227 g (1 cup) cold butter, cut into pieces

1 egg, beaten

400 g (2 cups) fresh strawberries

200 g (2 cups) fresh blueberries

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

4 teaspoons corn starch

• Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF).
• Whisk together sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour. Add cold butter and mix in with your hands. Add the egg and make a crumbly dough. 
• Press half of the dough onto the bottom of the prepared pan (23cm x 33xm / 9in x 13in). 
• Wash your strawberries, chop off the green part and cut into quarters. Mix all berries with the 1/2 cup sugar and corn starch, then spread them on top of the dough in the pan. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the berry layer. 
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.

My modifications:

None. Except for mixing strawberries and blueberries. The original recipe is for either one but not combined.

The taste:

Very good! Moist from the berries and very summery!

I stored it in the fridge and it actually tasted better the day after baking...

What's your favorite summer bake (with or without fruit)?

6 | 52 Apple Cinnamon Streusel Bars

Quick & easy. But still yummy.

Sometimes that's just what I need. And I'm sure you do, too.

I know, I know... This is the time to present you with a Valetine's Day recipe. 

You'll get it next week - I promise. V-Day will be over then but it will come around again next year. 

And isn't it nicer to surprise your special someone on a different day anyway?

So, for right now: a recipe that couldn't be any quicker & easier. But yummy nonetheless.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Bars

From GiveRecipe

256 g (2 cups) flour

200 g (1 cup) sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 small or 2 big apples (peeled, cored, and diced)

125 g (4oz) butter, melted

1 egg

powdered sugar for dusting

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add diced apples. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Add egg and combine.
• Put crumbled dough into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
• Dust with powedered sugar, if you wish.

My modifications:

None.

But next time I would reduce the sugar by half, maybe add a bit more apple dices and about 60 g (2 oz) butter. It would be less sweet (obviously) and a bit more moist/less dense. I think I'd like it even better then.

The taste:

Very yummy! Comfort food category, I would say. And you can never go wrong with Streusel. Or apple. Or cinnamon. Right?

But - it was a bit too sweet (any a tiny bit too dense) for my taste - hence my suggestions above.

What's your favorite quick & easy (baking) recipe?

36*52 Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

This is one of those recipes.

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon it. Or when.

But I had it open on my ipad for a long time.
And now seemed to be the right time to finally make it.

Yay!

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Adapted from The Baker Chick

Streusel:

(2/3 cups) sugar

pinch of salt

(3/4 cups) flour

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

(1 cup) brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake:

(3/4 cup) butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

(1 1/2 cups) sugar

(1/3 cup) brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

(3/4 cup) plain yoghurt

(1 1/4 cups) milk

(3 3/4 cups) flour

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• For the Streusel, whisk together dry ingredients, then add melted butter and stir until combined. Set aside.
• For the filling, mix together all ingredients and set aside.
• For the cake, beat together butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
• In a separate bowl, mix the yoghurt and milk. Add to the butter-egg mix alternating with the flour.
• Pour half the batter into prepared 9x13 pan. Sprinkle filling evenly on top. Pour the other half of the batter on top. Gently swirl the filling into the batter, as if making marble cake.
• Sprinkle Streusel over the batter.
• Bake for about 55-60 minutes until it's golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool.

My modifications:

I prepared the filling according to the recipe but only used about half of it. It just seemed like a loooooot of sugar. And it was totally enough. Next time I might just use half the sugar but the full amount of cinnamon.

The taste:

I really love it. The Streusel were a bit too crunchy (I would probably add a bit more butter next time) but otherwise it was perfect. It is a basic, comfort-food-kind-of cake but still great with the filling and Streusel topping. Make it for breakfast instead of cinnamon rolls - perfect! Will definitely make this one again.

What's your favorite cinnamon recipe?

35*52 Plum Crumble Cake

Can you believe it is September already? I can't. And I don't want to. 

Even though I love fall. Doesn't make sense, does it?

One great thing about fall are plums. I know, I know, it is still summer.

But we can already enjoy a bit of plum-crumble-cake action, can't we?

Especially when it's fast and easy as the one below.

 Plum Crumble Cake

Adapted from Lecker.de

225 g butter

750 g plums

350 g flour

150 g ground almonds

150 g sugar

1 sachet vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 egg

• Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). 
• Melt the butter and let cool. Cut plums in half or quarters, take out pits.
• Combine flour, almonds, sugar, vanilla (sugar), cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
• Add egg and melted butter and mix with a fork, then using your hands.
• Take 2/3 of the crumble dough and press to the bottom of a greased springform pan.
• Distribute plums evenly and crumble remaining 1/3 of the crumble dough over plums.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

My modifications:

Okay. I wanted to bake this spontaneously. Not having to go to the store before. And then I realized that I didn't have enough of most of the ingredients at home. But it still worked:

- 190 g butter plus 35 g oil,

- flour and ground almonds instead of 500 g flour,

- 150 g sugar instead of 175 g,

- half a mashed banana instead of the egg.

The taste:

Very yummy! A little too wintery or even christmassy with the cinnamon - I would definitely omit this next time. But the addition of the ground almonds is so good! Please do it if you can. As you can imagine, the bottom is not fluffy at all. But especially on the second day after baking, when the plum juices soaked through the bottom - heavenly!

Have you ever changed a recipe because you didn't have enough of each of the ingredients at home?

21*52 Mango-Rhubarb-Crumble

Summer temperatures are nowhere near and it is very unfriendly outside.
So let's bring summer to our plates.  And comfort food.

Are you in? That's what I thought.

Summer + comfort food = Mango-Rhubarb-Crumble.

Mango-Rhubarb-Crumble

4 stalks rhubarb

1 mango

4 teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons raw sugar

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

50 g (1/2 cup) rolled oats

75 g (1/3 cup) butter, cold

• Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). 
• Wash rhubarb and cut it into slice. Peel mango and cut into small pieces. Put both fruit into a baking dish and sprinkle with 4 teaspoons of sugar.
• Knead the remaining ingredients with your hand until crumbly. Crumble over fruit. 
• Bake for about 35 minutes. Enjoy while still warm for comforting purposes (or cold for summer feeling).

My modifications:

I browsed through a lot of crumble recipes and this is what I combined of them so the whole recipe is my modification.

The taste:

So comforting and yet summery. I love it and could eat it every day. Honestly.

Next time, I wouldn't use the mango though. I felt sorry for it because the rhubarb was so dominant that you didn't even taste the mango unless that was all you had on your spoon. I feel like it's better enjoyed by itself. But rhubarb-strawberry is a famous combo. Or maybe rhubarb-apple? Or just rhubarb.

How do you comfort yourself right now (especially if you live somewhere where the temperatures are not quite measuring up to the season)?

27/52 Apple-Crumble-Cake

Oh yes, I do. I totally know what you are thinking.

Crumble cake? Again???

Yes, it's crumble cake again. But there's a very good reason for that.

It is my mom's birthday today (Happy Birthday, Mom!) and she asked if I would bake her a cake. Of course I would! (And she knew that, of course... It really was a rhetorical question...)

Since it is her birthday, I really wanted her to choose what she would like me to bake.
I narrowed it down to either chocolatey, fruity, or yeasty.
And she chose yeasty. And fruity.

So there you have it. My mom's wish. You can't complain about repetition anymore now, can you?

I used the basis of the Rhubarb-Crumble-Cake from 4 weeks ago, but left out all the fancy igredients in the crumbles. Topped with apples instead of rhubarb, and a little cinnamon on top.

(Due to the birthday-travel-preparation-hustle-and-bustle, there are very little pictures of the cake and none of its preparation. Apologies for that. I hope you understand.)

Apple-Crumble-Cake

Adapted from essen & trinken 5/2012

Cake

400 g (3.2 cup) flour

200 ml (0.8 cup) milk

25 g (0.9 oz) yeast, compressed

80 g (0.4 cup) sugar

1 egg

pinch of salt

80 g (3/4 stick or 2.8 oz) butter, room temperature

Topping

6 apples, peeled & core removed

lemon juice

Crumbles

150 g (1.2 cup) flour

50 g (0.4 cup) starch

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

150 g (1.3 stick or 5.3 oz) butter, cold

• For the yeast dough, put flour into a bowl. Warm up milk until lukewarm and dissolve yeast and sugar in it. Add milk-yeast-sugar, egg and a pinch of salt to flour and knead with your mixer until smooth. Add butter in pieces and knead for another 3 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• For the crumbles, mix flour, starch, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add cold butter in pieces and knead with your hands until crumbly. Put in the fridge until later.
• Cut apples into wedges and sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
• Knead yeast dough with your hands, put into greased deep pan (30 x 40 cm/12 x 16 in) and spread evenly with your hands. Arrange apple pieces close-packed on top and crumble crumbles evenly over them.
• Bake on second lowest rack in preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for a bit.

My modifications:

Like I mentioned earlier, apples instead of rhubarb, only basic crumbles without the fancy ingredients.

The taste:

Good. Solid. Apples-cinnamon-crumbles - no further questions, right?

What would your mom wish for you to bake for her birthday? Or your dad for his?

23/52 Rhubarb-Crumble-Cake

You are absolutely right, I should be ashamed.
Ashamed for talking about strawberries and asparagus but totally neglecting rhubarb.

I guess I can only make it up to you (and rhubarb) by putting the spotlight on this very special plant today. And since crumbles are always good (and don't let anybody ever tell you otherwise), let's make Rhubarb-Crumble-Cake.

But watch out - those crumbles have some unexpected ingredients...

Rhubarb-Crumble-Cake

Adapted from essen & trinken 5/2012

Cake

400 g (3.2 cup) flour

200 ml (0.8 cup) milk

25 g (0.9 oz) yeast, compressed

80 g (0.4 cup) sugar

1 egg

pinch of salt

80 g (3/4 stick or 2.8 oz) butter, room temperature

Crumbles

2 twigs rosmary

50 g (2 tablespoons) candied ginger

150 g (1.2 cup) flour

50 g (0.4 cup) starch

100 g (1 cup) almonds, chopped

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
pinch of salt

150 g (1.3 stick or 5.3 oz) butter, cold

Topping

1,2 kg (2.6 lb) rhubarb

50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

• For the yeast dough, put flour into a bowl. Warm up milk until lukewarm and dissolve yeast and sugar in it. Add milk-yeast-sugar, egg and a pinch of salt to flour and knead with your mixer until smooth. Add butter in pieces and knead for another 3 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

• For the crumbles, chop rosmary needles and ginger. Mix both with flour, starch, almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt. Add cold butter in pieces and knead with your hands until crumbly. Put in the fridge until later.

• Wash and peel rhubarb. Cut into 8 cm (3 in) long pieces.

• Knead yeast dough with your hands, put into greased deep pan (30 x 40 cm/12 x 16 in) and spread evenly with your hands. Arrange rhubarb pieces close-packed on top and sprinkle with sugar. Crumble crumbles evenly on top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

• Bake on second lowest rack in preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for a bit. Serve with powdered sugar on top and/or whipped cream.

My modifications:

I couldn't find any candied ginger, so I used 3 Gingerbons (see picture above) and a bit of ground ginger. 

The taste:

Like summer! And the crumbles are really special (in a good way)!

What is your favorite summer cake recipe?

12/52 Heidelbeer-Streuselkuchen

Or: Blueberry Crumble Cake. For my cousin Stephanie. I'll explain why later.

Streuselkuchen is a very typical and traditional German cake.
It is originally made of a yeast dough base with crumbles (= Streusel) on top. In between, as a filling, there can be a kind of vanilla cream/pudding, all sorts of fruit, or poppy seeds.

I always liked the fruit Streuselkuchen best.
In late summer, plums are the most common filling (and one of the best, in my opinion). Cherries are very good as well. Or raspberries. Rhubarb. You pretty much name it. The plain Streuselkuchen with no filling at all, just base and crumbles, has always been a bit too boring for me.
But I will eat it if it's the only kind of Streuselkuchen around...

So back to my cousin Stephanie. She asked me last week if I ever make Zwetschgenstreuselkuchen (the aforementioned plum version). Apparently it reminds her of our Grandmother who was one of the best bakers I know. I guess it might also symbolize Germany for Stephanie, since she grew up in Canada. Yes, this is the short short version but I thought it made sense mentioning.

(Stephanie - if there is anything you would like to add or adjust - please let me know!)

Anyway, since plums aren't in season, I decided to try blueberries for the first time in a Streuselkuchen.
(Yes, I know, blueberries aren't really in season here either, but at least you can buy them...)

I also wanted to make the quicker version with a sponge cake base instead of the yeast one.

So here it is - for Stephanie.

Heidelbeer-Streuselkuchen

Adapted from Heidelbeerhof Foelster (a blueberry farm in nothern Germany)

500 g (3 2/3 cups) blueberries

125 g (1.1 stick) butter, softened

125 g (10 tablespoons) sugar

1 sachet (2 teaspoons) vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

pinch of salt

2 eggs

250 g (2 cups) flour

1 sachet (1 1/2 tablespoons) baking powder

Streusel:

125 g (1.1 stick) butter, cold

125 g (10 tablespoons) sugar

125 g (1 cup) flour

• Preheat oven to 175°C (347°F).
• Beat together sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla sugar, until light and fluffy.
• Add butter and mix well.
• Fold in sifted flour and baking powder.
• Spread batter evenly into a prepared pan (about 24 cm/9.5 in in diameter).
• Arrange blueberries on batter.
• Using your hands, quickly mix cold butter, sugar, and flour to crumbs. Crumble them over the blueberries.
• Bake on second lowest oven rack for 50-60 minutes.

My modification:

I only had 375 g (2 1/2 cups) of blueberries and that was enough to cover the base.

I used raw cane sugar because I was out of "regular" sugar.

My cake was done in 45 minutes. Just keep an eye on the Streusel, they are supposed to be golden but not brown. 

Please note: if you ever plan on making the plum Streuselkuchen, please do make a yeast dough base. It just suits the plums so much better. For every other fruit, feel free to make the quicker version like above.

The taste:

Cake base & blueberries & crumbles - I don't think there is anybody who wouldn't think this is a great combination.
If you like it a bit crunchy (expecially for the crumbles), eat the cake on the same day as you baked it. If you like it a bit soft and soggy, wrap your cake in aluminum foil and eat it one, two or even three days after you baked it.

I still have to admit that nothing beats the yeast base/plum Streuselkuchen, so come around plum season!

Which cake do you associate with your childhood, or a specific member of your family?