Kuchen is a traditional German dessert made with batter, custard, and fruit. The dough is made with yeast, and the cake is pre-baked before adding fruit and custard. It can be topped with streusel and is often served at festivals in South Dakota.
Kuchen, pronounced “KOO-gan” or “KOO-ken,” is a traditional German dessert made of batter, custard and, usually, fruit. While any type of fresh or dried fruit can be used in Kuchen, it is popularly made with fruit that is in season and plentiful – extra cakes are often made and frozen. The skins of the fruit can be removed if preferred, although dark or brightly colored skins are sometimes left on to enhance the look of the finished pie.
While you can use any sweet pie recipe, or even a tube of crescent dough for the base, the traditional way to start making this type of pie is by making a batter made with yeast. The dough is made from flour, melted butter, yeast and milk or cream. Finely grated lemon zest, taken from the thin yellow peel on the outside of the fruit, is also added to the batter. The white inner skin of the fruit is not used, as it is bitter. After the batter is thoroughly mixed, it is covered with a towel and left to rise in a dark and, if possible, warm place for about an hour.
When the dough has risen, it is placed in baking trays and left to rise once more. While you can then begin arranging the fruit onto the dough, pre-baking the cake for about 10 minutes allows the dough to continue to rise, which results in a lighter texture. After the cake has cooled, it’s ready for the fruit and custard.
Many fruits, especially ripe ones, are sweet enough on their own; however, sugar can be added to fruit slices before placing them on the cake. Some bakers organize the fruit into designs, while others prefer a more casual approach. Mixed fruit kuchen that mix berries, kiwis, and pitted fruits like apricots and peaches can be appealing and flavorful no matter how the fruits are arranged.
Custard, which is poured over fruit, is made with cream or sour cream, eggs, and sugar. Flavorings such as vanilla or almond extract can also be added. Some bakers use cream cheese, ricotta or mascarpone instead of custard.
Kuchen is then covered in streusel or crumbs. The streusel topping is made with breadcrumbs, melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, which are mixed into small lumps and then sprinkled over the top of the cake. Finely chopped nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, can also be used to garnish with streusel.
Some varieties of kuchen are made without fruit and are more like coffee cakes. Butter kuchen is made from a dough that is placed into the pan and then indented slightly with a fingertip. Melted butter is brushed onto the top of the dough and a generous amount of streusel topping is added.
This cake was named the state dessert of South Dakota, a US state with a large German population, in the spring of 2000. It is served at Schmeckfest, an Oktoberfest-like festival held in various parts of the state at different times of the year. Revelers nibbling on kuchen slices are a common sight.
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