Bring the cozy warmth of a traditional German bakery right into your kitchen with this spectacular Quark-Kirsch-Kuchen mit Streuseln. Featuring a velvety cheesecake filling, tart cherries, and a golden crumble topping, it is the ultimate comfort dessert to enjoy on a chilly winter day.
Ingredients
- The Shortcrust Base & Crumble (Streusel)
To make things easy, we will use one versatile dough for both the bottom crust and the golden crumble topping.
300g All-purpose flour
150g Unsalted butter (cold, cut into small cubes)
100g Granulated sugar
1 tsp Baking powder
1 pinch Salt
1 Large egg - The Creamy Quark Filling
500g Low-fat Quark (if unavailable, use strained Greek yogurt or a 50/50 mix of cream cheese and sour cream)
100g Granulated sugar
1 packet (37g) German Vanilla Puddingpulver (or substitute with 35g cornstarch + 1 tsp vanilla extract)
2 Large eggs
100g Sour cream or Schmand
1 tsp Lemon zest (optional, for brightness) - The Fruit Layer & Finish
1 jar (approx. 350g drained weight) Sour cherries (Schattenmorellen), well-drained
1 tbsp Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Add the cold cubed butter and the egg.
Rub the mixture together using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it forms a sandy texture and starts to clump together into beautiful crumbles (Streusel).
Take about two-thirds of this crumble mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of a greased 26cm (10-inch) springform pan to form a smooth, solid base.
Put the remaining one-third of the crumbles in the fridge for later. Pop the baking pan in the fridge too while you make the filling.
Step 2: Make the Creamy Filling
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) standard mode (or 160°C fan-assisted).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Quark, sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla pudding powder (or cornstarch + vanilla) until completely smooth and velvety.
Make sure there are no lumps from the pudding powder.
Step 3: Assemble the Cake
Take the springform pan out of the fridge.
Distribute the well-drained sour cherries evenly over the unbaked shortcrust base.
Gently pour the creamy Quark mixture directly over the cherries, smoothing out the top with a spatula.
Take the reserved crumble dough from the fridge and scatter the crumbles evenly over the entire cheesecake layer.
Step 4: Bake to Perfection
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The edges should be set, the crumbles beautifully golden-brown, and the center should only have a very slight, jelly-like wobble.
Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon, and let the cake cool inside for 10 minutes (this prevents the cheesecake layer from cracking).
Remove from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) to set perfectly.
Pro Tip: Right before slicing and serving, dust the top generously with powdered sugar just like in the picture. It creates that beautiful contrast against the golden crumbles and dark cherries!
