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Rhubarb Cake with Crumble Topping (Rhabarberkuchen mit Streusel)

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Rhubarb Cake Streusel Topping

Rhubarb Cake Streusel Topping is easy to make and is a delicious end to your meal. Use this step-by-step recipe to guide you through the preparation and baking of this favorite German dessert.

Ingredients for cake:

  • 500 g (17.6 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 125 g (4.4 oz) of melted butter
  • 1 cup of lukewarm milk
  • 2 extra large eggs
  • 1 package of rapid-rise dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1360 g (3 pounds) of rhubarb

Preparation of dough:

Mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add in melted butter, lukewarm milk, and eggs and work it with the hooks of your electric hand mixer. Continue until the dough is smooth. It should loosen from the sides of the bowl and show some bubbles. Cover the dough with a towel and keep it in a warm place. Allow it to rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

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When ready, line the bottom of a baking sheet (I used size 11” x 17”) with baking paper (parchment paper). Roll the dough evenly on the sheet and it will rise a second time while you prepare the rhubarb and the streusel crumble.

Ingredients for crumble topping:

  • 200 g (7 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) of sugar
  • 125 g (4.4 oz) of cold butter
  • 5 to 6 drops of vanilla extract (OR) 2 packages of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar

Preparation of the rhubarb:

Cut about a ¼ inch on both sides of the rhubarb. Skin the rhubarb while sticking the tip of a small knife about 1 inch below the end into the upper layer of the rhubarb. Lift the skin with the knife and pull the skin down. Make sure not to stick the knife too deep into the rhubarb because it will pull off the fruit, as well. (See pictures below.)

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Cut the rhubarb in about 3/4—1 inch pieces.

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Preparation of the crumbles:

Add the flour, vanilla, sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Once all the ingredients have been properly combined, rub the mixture between your fingers to create the crumble.

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Finishing of the cake:

Set the rhubarb with the cut in lines on top of the dough and press it in a little. Spread the crumbles evenly over the rhubarb.

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Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Place the cake on the rack just below the top rack (or second from the top) and bake for about 20–25 minutes.

Rhubarb cake was the favorite cake of my father in law and of course I made it for him whenever he requested it. Try it and you will understand why.

Serving your German Rhubarb cake with Streusel top

 

Sweet Woodruff Jelly (Waldmeister Wackelpudding)

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Sweet Woodruff Jelly

This Sweet Woodruff jelly recipe is easy to make and can be used a dessert or as colorful and flavorful addition to your vanilla pudding.

Ingredients:

  • 1 l (33.81 oz) of spring water
  • 200 ml (6.76 oz) of sweet woodruff syrup (OR) raspberry syrup (OR) strawberry syrup (OR) blueberry syrup
  • 2 1/2 envelopes (20 g–0.7 oz (OR) 2 1/2 tablespoons of Knox Gelatine
  • 4–6 drops of natural green food coloring (Available at Whole Foods)
  • 1/2 cup of water for gelatin

Preparation:

Pour the half cup of water in a larger metal bowl or glass bowl. Sprinkle in the Knox Gelatine and stir with a fork. Let it sit for about 5–10 minutes to let it rise.

Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat back and place the bowl with gelatin in the saucepan with water—(like a bain-marie). Stir with a fork until the gelatin is liquid and dissolved. Don’t let it cook. Remove the gelatin from your stove top.

Mix in the spring water, food coloring, and syrup together. Now add it slowly to the gelatin while stirring with a fork.

The simplest way is to present your gelatin is in a nice glass bowl or dish—where you can leave it to gel in the refrigerator and serve when needed. Another fun and interesting option is to pour the gelatin in silicon ice cube molds. Just make sure the gelatin has at least 4–6 hours in the fridge to chill prior to serving.

To easily remove jelly from the mold, fill a larger container with warm water and dip the mold in it for a few seconds. This will help loosen your shaped gelatin, but don’t let it sit too long in the warm water or it will liquefy.

You can pair the Sweet Woodruff Jelly with my vanilla sauce or vanilla pudding. Or simply with some whipping cream. Enjoy!

 

Vanilla Pudding (Vanillepudding)

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Vanilla Pudding

This vanilla pudding dessert can be made with either Dr. Oetker’s Vanilla Pudding or with more readily available products from Jell-O. Either way, I’m sure you’ll find it all delicious. …Oma

Ingredients for Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding:

  • 2 packages of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding
  • 6 tablespoons of sugar
  • 100- ml (33.81 oz) of whole milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 egg whites

Ingredients of Vanilla Jell-O Pudding

  • 2 packages (85 g - 3 oz) of Jell-O Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling
  • 940 ml (31.78 oz) of whole milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 egg whites

Preparation of the pudding:

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites with an egg separator. Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until stiff. Rinse out the pan you’re using. (This helps keep the pudding from sticking.) Prepare the vanilla pudding as described on the packages, while continuously stirring. With the pudding still is on the stove top, add in the two egg yolks while stirring.

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Remove the pudding from heat, pour it in a bowl. Add in the stiff egg whites. Mix it together with an electric handheld mixer until it is thoroughly worked into the pudding. The eggs will make the texture of the pudding lighter, almost like a mousse.

Fill the pudding in a ceramic or glass bowl and cover it with a cellophane wrap that has been rinsed under cold water. (This will help eliminate the skin that can develop on the pudding’s surface.) After the pudding has chilled in your refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap.

If you wish to give your pudding a decorative shape, try using a silicon fluted baking pan. (See below.) Wash it out with cold water and don’t dry it. Fill it with the pudding. Rinse your cellophane wrap with water and add it on top. After the pudding has had time to chill, take off the wrap. The pudding can now be easily removed from the mold and place on a plate.

You can serve your vanilla pudding with fresh strawberries or try it with Oma’s homemade Sweet Woodruff Jelly. A delicious combination!

 

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Sweet Woodruff Cheese Cake with Strawberries (Waldmeistertorte mit Erdbeeren)

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Sweet Woodruff Cheese Cake

This Sweet Woodruff cheese cake was a family favorite during the May Day celebration. Follow these step-by-step instructions for preparing this lovely and delicious dessert.

Ingredients for the cake:

  • 2 extra large (OR) jumbo eggs
  • 2–3 tablespoons of hot water
  • 100 g (3.52 oz) of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
  • 75 g (2.64 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 50 g (1.76 oz) of Dr. Oetker Gustin (OR) corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder

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Preparation batter:

Separate the egg yolks with an egg separator. Use a handheld mixer to beat the egg yolks and hot water until frothy. Add in the sugar and grated lemon peel. Mix until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, corn starch, and baking powder. Sift it over the egg cream.

Beat the egg whites with the handheld mixer until stiff. Add it to the top of the other ingredients. Use a wired pastry blender to mix the ingredients while lifting them up from the outside of the bowl to the center. Do not stir!

Fill the batter in a buttered springform pan, 11 inches in diameter. Preheat your oven to 180°C–190°C (350°F–375°F) and place it on the middle rack when ready. Bake for about 25–30 minutes. Take the cake out and place it upside down on a cooling rack. Let it cool out.

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Ingredients for filling:

  • 200 g (7.05 oz) of cream cheese (Philadelphia)
  • 200 g (7.05 oz) of whole milk yogurt
  • 300 ml (10.14 oz) of sweet woodruff syrup
  • 400 ml (13.52 oz) of heavy whipping cream
  • 50 g (1.76 oz) of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 envelopes of Knox Gelatin
  • 500 g (17.63 oz) of strawberries

IMG_8337Preparation for filling:

Use a handheld mixer and beat the cheese with the yogurt, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Slowly add in the syrup and mix. Beat the whipping cream in a different bowl until stiff. When done, add it on top of the cream mix and beat again until smooth.

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Fill a metal or glass bowl with 1/2 cup of water and sprinkle in the gelatin. Mix well with a fork and let it sit for about 5–10 minutes. Heat up some water in a saucepan and place the bowl with the gelatin in it. Slowly let it dissolve while stirring with a fork. Don’t let it boil! Once dissolved, let it cool down a little and add to the filling— while mixing with your handheld mixer.

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Finishing:

Place the cake on a turntable. Wrap the cake with an adjustable cake decorating ring and close. Cut the washed strawberries in slices and place them on the cake. Evenly spread the filling over the strawberries using the back of an angled spatula. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 4–6 hours to harden.

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Decoration:

  • 250 ml (8.45 oz) of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 package Dr. Oetker whip it (stabilizer for whipping cream)
  • Green candy shreds
  • about 12 strawberries

Carefully loosen the cake ring while using a straight spatula. Mark the top of the cake with a cake divider (10 or 12 slices).

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With a handheld mixer beat the whipping cream and add Dr. Oetker Whip It to stabilize the cream. Fill a decoration bag with the cream and add a coupler and different decoration tips. Start decorating the bottom outer edge of the cake.

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With the help of a cake lifter, place the cake onto the final plate and continue decorating your way to the top. Design your cake any way you wish. You’re DONE. Enjoy!

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Mocha Buttercream Cake (Mokkatorte)

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Ingredients for cake:

  • 4 extra large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons of hot water
  • 150 g (5.29 oz) of sugar
  • 1 package of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar (OR) 5 drops of vanilla extract
  • 100 g (3.52 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 100 g (3.52 oz) of Dr. Oetker Gustin (OR) corn starch
  • 1 package of Dr. Oetker Baking Powder (OR) 3 teaspoons of baking powder

Preparation for the batter:

Separate the egg yolks with an egg separator. Use a handheld mixer to beat the egg yolks and hot water until frothy. Add in the sugar and vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract) and mix until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, corn starch, and baking powder. Sift it over the egg cream.

Beat the egg whites with the handheld mixer until stiff. Add it to the top of the other ingredients. Use a wired pastry blender to mix the ingredients while lifting them up from the outside of the bowl to the center. Do not stir!

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Fill the batter in a buttered springform pan, 11 inches in diameter. Preheat your oven to 180°C–190°C (350°F–375°F) and place it on the middle rack when ready. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. Take the cake out with the help of a cake lifter and slide it on a cooling rack. After the cake is cooled down, use three toothpicks on the side of the cake to mark the center. (See picture below.) Use a cake marker to draw a line for slicing the cake across in three equal pieces.

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Ingredients for filling:

  • 750 ml (25.36 oz) of milk
  • 1 1/2 package of Dr. Oetker Chocolate Pudding (OR) Jell-O Chocolate Cook & Serve
  • 8 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of cacao
  • 3 tablespoons of instant coffee
  • 375 g (13.22 oz) of butter

Ingredients for decoration:

  • Chocolate sprinkles
  • Chocolate coffee beans
  • 118 ml (4 oz) of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 package of Dr. Oetker Whip It

Preparation for buttercream:

Pour the milk into a saucepan. Add the pudding powder, sugar, cacao, and instant coffee to it and stir with a whisk until all ingredients are dissolved. Place it on the stove top and heat it up slowly (while continually stirring) until it comes to a boil. Keep stirring with the whisk, so that the pudding will not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. When the pudding comes to a boil, immediately remove it from heat and fill the contents in a glass or metal bowl. Take some cellophane wrap, run it under some water, and cover the buttercream with it. This will help to avoid skin developing on the surface. Put it aside and let it cool down. Don’t place the pudding in the refrigerator.

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Use a handheld mixer to beat the soft butter. Slowly add the cooled down buttercream to it. If the butter and pudding have different temperatures, the buttercream will coagulate. In this case, you can either have the bowl with the buttercream submerged in a larger bowl with warm water and continue mixing, OR you can place the buttercream in the microwave for about 30–40 seconds and continue mixing it after you took it out.

Preparation for decoration:

If you would like to use chocolate coffee beans as decoration but can not find them, use a silicone mold (pictured on the left below) which you can get at Amazon.com and make your own. To make them, use about 100 g (3.52 oz) of baker’s dark chocolate and melt it in a bain-marie. If it’s not liquid enough, add a knife tip of shortening to it. Using a funnel, fill the liquefied chocolate in a squeeze bottle and then fill the coffee-bean mold. Place the mold in the freezer for about an hour so it will hardened. Chocolate coffee beans should be easy to remove.

Pictured on the right are gadgets I used to decorate the cake. The gadgets ARE NOT necessary to decorate the cake, but will make the process easier.

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Decorating:

Leave the toothpicks in and slice your cake twice along the marked lines. Place the bottom piece on a turntable. Use a quarter of your buttercream and spread it on the cake with the back of an angled spatula.

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Add the middle layer of the cake and repeat the spreading process. Make sure that the toothpicks line up. Add the top piece of your cake lining it up with the toothpicks. Before you start to decorate the sides, take the toothpicks out. Use a cake lifter to place under the cake and spread the buttercream on the sides using the back of an angled spatula. Make sure to move the cake lifter underneath the cake to the edges, which are not decorated. After finishing the sides, save about 6–8 tablespoons of the buttercream for final decorations. Spread the rest of the buttercream on top of the cake.

Before decorating the sides with the chocolate sprinkles, wipe the cake lifter with a paper kitchen towel. Place the cake lifter back underneath the cake. Use a straight spatula to decorate the edges with the chocolate sprinkles. Place the chocolate sprinkles in a piled line around the cake close to the edges. Use the straight spatula to lift them and carefully stick them to the sides starting from the bottom to the top. Use your cake divider (10 and 12 slices) to mark the cake on top. Place your cake on a nice plate and place it in the refrigerator or freezer for about 30 minutes in the freezer. (It’s always easier to do the final decoration on top when the cake has hardened a little.

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Final decoration:

Use your handheld mixer and beat the whipping cream. Add 1 package Dr. Oetker Whip It to stabilize the whipped cream. Fill two cake decorating bags with the buttercream and the whipped cream. Add decoration tips with a coupler. Begin decorating as you wish—starting from the center of the cake to the outside. You’re all DONE. Enjoy!

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German Cheese Cake with Crumble Topping (Käsekuchen mit Streusel)

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My mother used Schichtkäse for the cheese cake. It’s a kind of combination of cream cheese and cottage cheese. The closest I could find in the States is farmer’s cheese. If you live in an area where it’s difficult to find, not to worry, regular cream cheese will work just fine with my recipe.

Ingredients for shortcrust pastry:

  • 200 g (7 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of Dr. Oetker baking powder (OR) baking powder
  • 75 g (2.6 oz) of sugar
  • 1 package of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar (OR) 3-4 drops of vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) of soft cold butter
  • Pinch of salt

Ingredients for filling:

  • 750 g (26.5 oz) of farmers cheese (OR) cream cheese
  • 150 g (5.3 oz) of sugar
  • 1 package of Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar (OR) 3-4 drops of vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 4 egg whites
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 236 ml (8 oz) of heavy whipping cream
  • 50 g (1.8 oz) of corn starch

Ingredients for crumble:

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 75 g (2.6 oz) of sugar
  • 1 package of Dr. Oetker vanilla sugar (OR) 3–4 drops of vanilla extract
  • 75 g (2.6 oz) of soft cold butter

Preparation of shortcuts pastry:

Mix the flour with the baking powder and sieve it in a bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Mix well. Make a hole in the center and add the egg. Cut the butter in small pieces and spread on top. With your hands, knead all the ingredients together until they become a smooth dough. The dough is ready when it’s no longer sticky.

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Take some baking paper and cut a circle about 2 inches larger in diameter than your springform (11 inches). Cover the springform on the bottom and sides with the paper and fold it every few inches on the sides of the baking pan. (SEE BELOW.) Use a bit more than the half of the crust and spread it on the bottom of the pan by hand. Divide the rest of the dough for the outer crust. Form two rolls and place them around the inside of the pan. With your fingers, press the rolls against the sides of the springform (about 2 inches high) and connect it with the bottom part (crust) of the dough. Use a fork to make holes in the crust. Put it aside.

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Preparation of the cheese filling:

Place the cheese, sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon juice, and egg yolks in a bowl and mix with your handheld mixer until smooth. Slowly add in the whipping cream (in liquid form) while mixing. When filling is smooth, add the corn starch. In a different bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and add to the cheese mix. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

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Fill your crust in the springform with the cheese mix and spread evenly. Prepare the streusel crumb topping by mixing the flour, sugar, and vanilla sugar (OR) extract. Add in slices of the cold (but soft) butter. Using your hands, work the ingredients between your fingers. Be careful not to knead everything too much or you’ll create an unwanted dough-like consistency.

Preparation of crumbles:

Add flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and butter in a bowl and knead them with the dough hooks of your handheld mixer. When combined rub it between your hands—crumbs should fall back into the bowl. Also, make sure that all the butter is worked into the crumbs. If your crumbs are too dry, use some more butter. If the crumbs are too moist, add some more flour. Spread the crumbs evenly on top of your cake.

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Preheat your oven to 182°C (360°F) and place your cake on the middle rack. Bake for about 60–70 minutes. Make sure not to open the oven door while baking. After your cake is finished, turn off the heat and open the door. Leave the cake in the oven for at least another hour with the door open. (Otherwise it could sink in.)

After the cake has cooled down, open the baking pan and carefully remove the paper. Sprinkle some powdered sugar through a small sieve on top of the cake. Place your cake on a nice plate and you are DONE!