Unfortunately, cherries always have a rather short season in summer. Anything found in supermarkets outside that time has traveled halfway around the globe and tends to be a bit more expensive, right? Fortunately, things are a little different here in summer. When these little red fellas go on sale, it’s the perfect time to bake a delicious Cherry Almond Streusel Cake. The perfect bake to celebrate the cherry season.
Cherries are truly delicious – a lot of you out there will agree, right? Anyone with one or more cherry trees in their garden is a very lucky person, I think. Provided, of course, that someone actually gets the chance to harvest the fruit in time. If not, flocks of birds will happily take care of it for you, which can result in quite a mess. I’ve seen it happen…
Sadly, we don’t have a cherry tree, nor do we know anyone who does. Maybe we’ll have to move to the countryside one of these days to change that? Well… that’s a topic for another time. Probably not something anyone here is interested in talking about.
Anyway, you can easily find delicious cherries at the supermarket or the farmers’ market. During the season, they’re often on sale and you can get them at a lower price. Which is exactly how I got the cherries for this cake here. When I’m shopping for food and baking ingredients, my inner Swabian (even though I’m not actually Swabian) tends to come out, turning me into a bargain hunter.
Here’s what we like to do in the summer: if cherries are cheap, we bring home a large basket. Always. Anything we don’t need immediately for a cake or dessert gets frozen in several portions. Frozen cherries work perfectly for most recipes and cakes. If you’ve snagged a good deal, it can be significantly cheaper than the frozen cherries from the supermarkets. After all, the prices of frozen cherries and canned cherries as well have gone up a bit lately…
Preparing the cake is incredibly easy. First, prepare some cherry compote. If you make a little extra, it’s great to have on hand for other recipes and desserts. For both the base and the topping, use a simple butter streusel mixture – something everyone is likely familiar with, right? Simply press some of those sprinkles into the baking tin to create the cake base, and then scatter the rest over the cherry compote layer you spread on top of the base. It’s really simple.
The result is a delicious cherry cake with a crunchy streusel topping. When served chilled, it makes for a refreshing summer snack, although it’s also wonderful while still slightly warm. Perhaps accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Either way, it’s a fantastic cake!
Our Cherry & Marzipan Streusel Shortbread Bars are another delicious way to use cherries when they are in season. Similar concept compared to the cake recipe here but you will get a different shape, obviously. It’s an easy option if you don’t have a round baking tin at hand. With a few minor adjustments, the recipe can easily be adapted for larger sheet pans – perfect for situations where the whole family drops by for some coffee and cake.
A classic cherry pie is another great way to use up a large batch of cherries. Paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this delicious pie is hard to beat. While the preparation takes a bit more effort, it is definitely worth it…
INGREDIENTS / INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS / PREPARATION
1. Wash, dry and pit the cherries for the compote. Mix cornstarch, cherry juice and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add the cherries to a saucepan with 1 tbsp. of water and heat up gently. Let the cherries cook for a moment – ​​you want them to soften a bit and release some of their juices. Next, add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Continue stirring until you get a thick and dark compote. In case the cornstarch does not dissolve properly (when the mixture looks pale), add some more cherry juice and continue stirring and cooking until you get the right consistency. You want the cherries to be covered in a custard-like sauce. The cherries sometimes do not release enough liquid to bind the cornstarch. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool down.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a 24cm springform tin* with baking parchment and set aside.
3. For the streusel, add the spelt flour, sugar, ground almonds, vanilla powder, and salt to a large bowl. Add the butter in small pieces, as well as the egg, and mix in. We always use a fork first until the egg is reasonably well combined with the flour – then we use our hands to create different-sized streusel.
4. Transfer about 2/3 of the sprinkles to the prepared springform tin and press them to the bottom and sides to create a nice cake base – the sides should be about 2-3cm high. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove it from the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
5. Spread the cherry compote all over the base. Combine the remaining streusel with the sliced ​​almonds and sprinkle everything on the cherry compote. Return the baking tin to the oven and bake the cake for about 40 minutes – the sprinkles should have a golden brown color. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely. We love to serve the cherry cake with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
1. For the cherry compote, wash, dry and pit the cherries. Mix the cornstarch with the cherry juice and vanilla extract until smooth. Put the cherries with 1 tablespoon of water in a small pot and heat slowly. Let the cherries simmer briefly – they should soften a little and release liquid. Next, add the starch mixture and stir. Stir everything and simmer until a thick compote forms. If the starch doesn’t dissolve properly (if the mixture still looks a bit light or lumpy), simply add a little more cherry juice and stir and simmer until the consistency is right. Sometimes the cherries simply don’t release enough juice to bind the starch. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) top/bottom heat. Line a 24cm springform pan* with baking paper and set aside.
3. Mix spelled flour with sugar, almonds, vanilla powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter in small pieces and the egg and mix everything well – we always use a fork first until the egg has somewhat combined with the flour and then we use our hands. There should be sprinkles of different sizes.
4. Pour about 2/3 of the sprinkles into the prepared springform pan and press together to form a cake base – the dough should rise about 2-3cm around the edges. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
5. Spread the cherry compote onto the pre-baked base. Mix the remaining streusel with the sliced ​​almonds and sprinkle on the cherry compote. Put the mold back in the oven and then Bake again for about 40 minutes – the sprinkles should have a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. We like to serve the cake with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Description
This is a staple in our kitchen in summer – this Cherry Almond Streusel Cake is an absolute family favorite when cherries are in season!
For the cherry compote:
28 oz. (800g) cherries, pitted
1.4 oz. (40g) cornstarch*
1/2 cup (120ml) cherry juice, plus a little more if needed
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 tbsp. of water
For the sprinkles:
8.1 oz. (230g) spelt flour*
3/4 cup (150g) sugar (fine)*
3.5 oz. (100g) ground almonds*
1/2 tsp. vanilla powder*
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup (150g) cold butter
1 large egg
2–3 tbsp. sliced ​​almonds
1. Wash, dry and pit the cherries for the compote. Mix cornstarch, cherry juice and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add the cherries to a saucepan with 1 tbsp. of water and heat up gently. Let the cherries cook for a moment – ​​you want them to soften a bit and release some of their juices. Next, add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Continue stirring until you get a thick and dark compote. In case the cornstarch does not dissolve properly (when the mixture looks pale), add some more cherry juice and continue stirring and cooking until you get the right consistency. You want the cherries to be covered in a custard-like sauce. The cherries sometimes do not release enough liquid to bind the cornstarch. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool down.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a 24cm springform tin* with baking parchment and set aside.
3. For the streusel, add the spelt flour, sugar, ground almonds, vanilla powder, and salt to a large bowl. Add the butter in small pieces, as well as the egg, and mix in. We always use a fork first until the egg is reasonably well combined with the flour – then we use our hands to create different-sized streusel.
4. Transfer about 2/3 of the sprinkles to the prepared springform tin and press them to the bottom and sides to create a nice cake base – the sides should be about 2-3cm high. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove it from the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
5. Spread the cherry compote all over the base. Combine the remaining streusel with the sliced ​​almonds and sprinkle everything on the cherry compote. Return the baking tin to the oven and bake the cake for about 40 minutes – the sprinkles should have a golden brown color. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely. We love to serve the cherry cake with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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