AP – Classic German Streuselkuchen is a lush, fine-crumbed, yeasted cake topped with a remarkably hefty amount of buttery-crisp streusel. It’s the perfect coffee cake for breakfast, brunch or a casual dessert.
In this recipe from our cookbook, Milk Street Bakes, we add a pop of colour with a layer of fresh blueberries. Their fruity tartness is a perfect foil for the richness of the cake and streusel. Brown sugar is not used in the streusel for true German Streuselkuchen, but a little is included here to give the topping a touch of golden colour and subtle notes of molasses.
GERMAN BLUEBERRY STREUSEL CAKE INGREDIENTS
For the streusel:
– 195 grammes all-purpose flour
– 107 grammes white sugar
– 50 grammes packed dark brown sugar
– Half teaspoon table salt
– 141 grammes salted butter, cut into one-tablespoon pieces, room temperature
For the dough and berries:
– Two-third cup whole milk, room temperature
– One large egg, plus one large egg yolk, room temperature
– Two teaspoons grated lemon zest
– One-and-a-half teaspoons instant yeast
– 325 grammes all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
– 71 grammes white sugar
– Half teaspoon table salt
– Half teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 70 grammes salted butter, cut into one-tablespoon pieces, room temperature, plus more for the pan
– 290 grammes blueberries
Directions:
To make the streusel, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, both sugars and salt on medium-low until well combined and any lumps of brown sugar have broken apart, one to two minutes. With the mixer on low, add the butter one piece at a time, then mix on medium-low until fully incorporated and the mixture resembles damp sand, one to two minutes. Transfer the streusel to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate. Wipe the mixer bowl and the paddle attachment.
To make the dough, in a two-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the milk, whole egg and yolk, lemon zest and yeast. In the mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon on medium-low until combined, about 30 seconds.
With the mixer running, slowly add the milk-egg mixture; mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase to medium and beat until a sticky, webby mixture forms, about three minutes.
Scrape the bowl. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the butter one piece at a time, mixing for about 15 seconds before adding the next. When all the butter has been added, scrape the bowl and mix on medium until a very sticky, elastic, batter-like dough forms, two to three minutes. Remove the paddle attachment and scrape off the dough that clings, allowing it to fall back into the bowl.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and gather the dough in the centre. Cover and let rise at room temperature for one-and-a-half hours; the dough will not double.
Meanwhile, butter a nine-by-13-inch baking pan or glass baking dish, then line it with a 16-inch sheet of foil so the ends overhang the long sides of the pan.
Butter the foil. After the dough has risen for one-and-a-half hours,scrape it into the center of the prepared pan.
Lightly dust the top with flour and flour your hands. Starting from the centre and using outstretched hands, firmly press the dough into an even layer to the edges and into the corners of the pan. Re-flour your hands as needed and press the dough firmly to remove as many air bubbles as possible. Do not pull or stretch the dough, which may cause it to tear, and make sure the edges are not thicker than the centre. Cover with plastic wrap, drape a kitchen towel over the pan and refrigerate for eight to 24 hours.
When you are ready to bake, remove the dough and streusel from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes; the dough will rise only slightly. About 30 minutes into rising, heat the oven to 176 degree Celsius (°C) with a rack in the lower-middle position.
Uncover the pan. Scatter the blueberries on the dough in a single layer. Scoop up a big handful of streusel, firmly squeeze in your hand it until it forms a cohesive clump, then crumble and break the clump into bits no larger than the size of a shelled peanut, scattering them onto the berry-topped dough; aim for a mix of fine crumbles and larger pebbly pieces. Continue adding the remaining streusel in this way, evenly covering the surface.
Bake until the streusel is light golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife between the cake and pan along the short edges of the pan. Using the foil overhang as handles, lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack. Cool completely before serving. – Christopher Kimball
