Sächsischer Osterkuchen
Rich, custardy Easter Cake from Saxony with quark, almonds, currants and a bit of brandy or rum. Best when served warm, with whipped cream and berries as desired.
Region Saxony
Servings 12 pieces
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 9 Tbsp butter
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
For the quark filling:
- 2 cups quark (ideally Magerquark, lean quark)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp brandy or rum
- 1 small pinch saffron powder
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1/2 cup currants
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp butter melted
- 4 oz whipping cream
In addition:
- flour for rolling
- 1 egg yolk
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- For the dough: mix the flour with the butter, vanilla, sugar, salt and one egg, and knead into a dough. Cover the dough and allow to rest at room temperature or warm oven for 30 minutes.
- For the filling, drain the quark in a colander. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, alcohol, butter, and saffron until the mixture is creamy and the sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in the almonds, followed by the currants, lemon zest, melted butter and cream. Stir in the quark as well.
- Roll out 2/3 of the shortbread dough on a floured work surface. Place on the bottom of a greased springform pan (10" / 26 cm diameter). Use the remaining third of the dough to form the sides. Spread the quark mixture in the spring form pan and smooth it out slightly. Bake at 350°F/180°C for about 50 minutes.
- Mix the egg yolk with a little water. Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle the egg and water evenly over the surface of the cake. Return to the oven and allow the cake to bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the cake and allow to rest in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. With a sharp knife, loosen the sides from the pan and remove the cake.
- Dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve while still warm, with whipped cream if desired.
