German Cherry Cake – Cherry Custard Pie Recipe
A traditional German Cherry Cake featuring a buttery shortcrust base, a creamy vanilla-flavored quark custard filling, and topped with juicy sour cherries, baked to perfection. This delightful dessert combines the richness of custard with the freshness of cherries, ideal for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Ingredients
Scale
Shortcrust Pastry
- 250 grams flour
- 125 grams butter
- 150 grams sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 1 egg
Custard Filling
- 750 grams quark (or 1 kg Greek yogurt drained overnight)
- 100 ml milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 25 grams butter, melted and cooled
- 2 sachets vanilla pudding custard powder (or 80 g cornstarch + seeds from 1½ vanilla bean pods)
- 130 grams sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 60 grams sugar
Topping
- 2 cups cherries (sour cherries, Rainier, or similar), drained if canned
Instructions
- Prepare the cherries and quark: Drain the cherries thoroughly if using canned. Place the quark in a colander and drain for 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. If using Greek yogurt instead of quark, start with 1 kg and drain overnight in a sieve lined with paper towels, then weigh out 750 g for the recipe.
- Make the shortcrust pastry: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 250 g flour, 125 g butter, 150 g sugar, a packet of vanilla sugar, and 1 egg. Mix until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball or disk and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the quark custard filling: In a bowl, blend 750 g quark, 100 ml milk, 2 egg yolks, 25 g melted and cooled butter, 2 packets of vanilla pudding powder (or cornstarch and vanilla bean seeds), and 130 g sugar into a smooth, creamy batter. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the 2 egg whites with 60 g sugar until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the quark custard mixture.
- Assemble the cake: Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Press two-thirds of the dough evenly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, no rolling needed. Use the remaining dough to form a rim along the edges.
- Add filling and cherries, then bake: Pour the quark custard mixture over the pastry base and spread evenly. Scatter the drained cherries on top. Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 170-180°C (350°F) for 60-70 minutes until set and lightly golden.
Notes
- Ensure the butter for the custard is melted but not hot to avoid curdling the eggs.
- If using cornstarch and vanilla beans instead of pudding powder, mix well to prevent lumps.
- Drain the quark or yogurt well to prevent a watery filling.
- The baking time may vary depending on oven type; watch until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- This cake is best served chilled or at room temperature.
Keywords: German cherry cake, cherry custard pie, quark cake, shortcrust pastry dessert, baked cherry cake
