Kuchen

Fruit desserts like this kuchen recipe are always a treat. A thin yeasted flour-based crust, custard, fruit and streusel bake up into a warm, comforting dessert that you can have after a meal or as a snack when you want something that’s a little sweet (but not too sweet). This recipe makes four kuchens, so you can use different types of fruit for each one.

Kuchen is the German word for “cake,” but in the culinary world, kuchen can refer to any number of baked desserts with fruit. Some are more like standard cakes with fruit baked into the very top, while others are more similar to fruit pies with a top and bottom crust. Yet others, including this German kuchen recipe, contain fruit and custard baked over a thin crust. The final dish looks a bit like a pie at first, but when you taste it, you’ll realize it’s so much more than just a pie. This is a great recipe for those who want a lot of fruit in each bite of their dessert.

Kuchen Ingredients

• Active dry yeast: Despite the pielike look of the crust, it is more of a thin cake layer.
• Warm water and warm milk: Warm water activates the yeast initially, and warm milk helps ensure that the yeast’s rising power won’t be affected by cold liquid.
• Sugar: This helps make the thin crust have a more cakey texture.
• Egg: An egg, as you’ve probably guessed, binds everything together.
• All-purpose flour: Despite the cakelike nature of the crust, you want to use all-purpose flour here and not something like cake flour. All-purpose has a good amount of protein and gluten to give the crust structure when baked.
• Custard: The luscious custard topping needs eggs, heavy whipping cream and sugar. The eggs provide structure, the cream adds more fat and richness, and the sugar sweetens.
• Sliced, peeled fruit: You can use anything from apples to peaches to raspberries here. Peel the apples, but you can leave thin peels on plums, peaches or nectarines for added color. Drain any excess juice and water.
• Streusel topping: Here we’ll make a streusel topping from sugar, all-purpose flour, cold butter and a little cinnamon. Cold butter is important, as it will help stop the sugar from totally melting and also make the topping more tender.

Directions

Step 1: Form the dough

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The evening before you want to make the kuchen, dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl. Add the milk, sugar, salt and oil; add the egg and 2-1/2 cups flour. Beat everything until you have a smooth mixture. Start adding more flour in small amounts to turn the mixture into a soft dough that you can handle.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and then turn the dough once to grease the top. Don’t knead the dough; just turn it. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to sit overnight.

Step 2: Make the custard

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The next day, when you’re ready to make the kuchen, start preparing the custard. Whisk the eggs, whipping cream and sugar in a large bowl. Set that aside, take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide the dough into four portions.

Step 3: Assemble the unbaked kuchen

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Spread a little flour onto the surface you’ll use for rolling out the dough. Roll each portion into a 10-inch circle. Place each circle into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Press the circle onto the bottom and up the sides of each plate. Put 2 to 2-1/2 cups of fruit atop each circle in the pie plate, and then pour 1 cup custard over each pile of fruit.

Step 4: Make the topping and bake the kuchen dessert

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and flour for the topping in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the whole mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the topping over each pie plate. Cover the edges of the dough with foil.

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Bake the kuchen for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the custard filling reads 160°.

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Kuchen Variations

• Go beyond basic fruits: Apples, peaches, berries and other common fruits do very well in German kuchen recipes, but don’t be shy about trying other fruits, such as persimmon slices. I recommend sticking to seasonal fruit desserts, like blueberry kuchens in the summer and apple kuchens in the fall.
• Play with the spices: Depending on the fruit, add a few fall spices to the custard or streusel topping. Ground ginger is beautiful with blueberries and strawberries, cardamom pairs with apricots and figs, and nutmeg goes very well with apples and pears.
• Try a veggie: You can even try sweet vegetables, such as thin slices of pumpkin or other squash. Experiment with sweet cooked carrots, too, if you like. You’ll probably want to add appropriate spices, such as cinnamon, to these.

How to Store Kuchen

Leftover kuchen dessert can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days. The crust and topping will likely get softer as they absorb more moisture from the custard and fruit.

Can you freeze kuchen?

Yes, you can freeze this kuchen dessert. First of all, cut the kuchen into servings and place the servings on a flat sheet (like a baking sheet). Freeze them for about 30 minutes to make the custard and fruit firm up, and then wrap each slice tightly in freezer-safe wrap. Place the wrapped slices in a freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible without crushing the slices. Keep those for up to three months, and let them thaw in the refrigerator when you want to eat them.

Be aware that the fruit may have a more watery texture when it thaws just because of all the ice crystals that formed when you froze the slices. Also, the kuchen won’t reheat well, so plan to eat it cold once thawed.

Kuchen Tips

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Can you use store-bought pie crust for kuchen?

Store-bought pie crusts don’t contain yeast and therefore won’t rise as the cake in this recipe will. The cake layer here may seem very thin, but pie crust would be even thinner. That could actually be good if you don’t want a lot of crust or cake, but the final texture will be different and it will end up being more of a custard and fruit pie.

Can you use frozen fruit instead of fresh or canned fruit?

In some cases, yes, you can use frozen fruit instead of fresh or canned fruit. If the fruit isn’t mushy before baking, then it could work. Baking makes the fruit softer, so starting with fruit that’s already very soft could lead a mushy final result. Thawed berries, for example, could end up too soft, not to mention they could inundate the custard with excess berry juice. Frozen berries, not thawed, might be an option, but be prepared for them to leak a lot of water and juice. Frozen peaches (that you’ve thawed) should work just fine, and thawed cherries may do well too. Both of those fruits tend to be relatively firm after thawing.

What can you serve with kuchen?

If you’re not having this German kuchen recipe as dessert after a meal, have a small slice as a snack with tea or coffee. This is a fantastic recipe to have waiting should a neighbor come over to visit and chat. Dress up each slice with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a tiny shake of cinnamon, if desired.