German Cherry Cake – Cherry Custard Pie Recipe
This German Cherry Cake, also known as Cherry Custard Pie, features a rich and creamy quark-based custard topped with tangy cherries on a buttery shortcrust pastry. The custard is smooth and light, made with quark or Greek yogurt, and flavored with vanilla pudding powder or homemade cornstarch custard. It’s a classic baked dessert perfect for cherry season with a soft, crumbly crust and a luscious fruity topping.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Shortcrust Pastry
- 250 grams flour
- 125 grams butter
- 150 grams sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 1 egg
Filling
- 750 grams quark or drained Greek yogurt (start with 1 kg Greek yogurt drained overnight)
- 100 ml milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 25 grams butter, melted and cooled
- 2 sachets vanilla pudding custard powder (Dr. Oetker) or 80 grams cornstarch + seeds scraped from 1½ vanilla bean pods
- 130 grams sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 60 grams sugar
- 2 cups cherries (sour cherries, Rainier, or other varieties), drained if canned
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Drain the cherries thoroughly if using canned. For the quark, drain it in a colander for about 10 minutes. If using Greek yogurt, drain 1 kg overnight in a sieve lined with paper towels in the fridge, then weigh out 750 grams.
- Make Shortcrust Pastry: Combine 250 grams of flour, 125 grams butter, 150 grams sugar, 1 packet vanilla sugar, and 1 egg in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until the dough forms a ball or disk. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare Filling: In a bowl, combine the 750 grams of quark or yogurt, 100 ml milk, 2 egg yolks, 25 grams melted and cooled butter, 2 packets of vanilla pudding custard powder (or cornstarch with vanilla bean seeds), and 130 grams sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a clean bowl, whisk the 2 egg whites with 60 grams sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the quark custard mixture to add lightness.
- Assemble the Cake: Remove the dough from the fridge. Press two-thirds of the dough evenly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to form the base. Use the remaining dough to create a rim around the edge.
- Add Filling and Cherries: Pour the quark custard mixture over the crust base. Evenly scatter the drained cherries on top of the filling.
- Bake: Place the springform pan in a preheated oven at 170-180°C (350°F) and bake for 60-70 minutes, until the custard is set and the crust is golden.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool completely to ensure the filling sets properly. Optionally, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top before serving for an attractive finish.
Notes
- You can substitute vanilla pudding powder with cornstarch mixed with scraped seeds from 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1½ pods).
- If a springform pan is unavailable, use a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or two 8-inch pie pans.
- Cooling the cake completely is essential; otherwise, the fruit custard filling may be runny.
- Sprinkling confectioners’ sugar on top adds a nice touch for presentation.
- German shortcrust pastry is simple to prepare and can be stored in the fridge for several days.
- If the dough is too crumbly, knead in a small amount of cold water to improve pliability but avoid making it too wet.
- Draining quark or yogurt properly helps avoid excess moisture for a perfect texture.
Keywords: German cherry cake, cherry custard pie, quark dessert, shortcrust pastry, vanilla custard, baked cherry dessert
