Himbeerkuchen or Raspberry Cake

Mom had a windfall of Raspberries a couple of days ago and shared with me. Mia and I love fresh berries of all types and raspberries are always welcome in our home. I love to make vinaigrettes, raspberry sauce for ice cream and waffles, jams and fillings for tarts or simply to bake them in a flaky crust creating a Fresh Raspberry Tart.

When I was a kid, my Grama would make Cherry Pudding, which as akin to this recipe but without the bottom crust and, a lot more cake-like than my version with the custard. Grama would make it with canned cherries and serve warm with cream over the top; my Mom’s step-father was from a Mennonite family, and with his family brought recipes, such as Cherry Pudding, popular with some Mennonite groups. These Germanic recipes were hugely definitive in Mid-West cuisine and ultimately throughout North America.

This Himbeerkuchen Pudding or Raspberry Cake has a delicious buttery crust and is filled with fresh fruit and a custard like topping. I usually make this pudding with cherries, which aren’t my favorite, so this is a big treat for me. Mia and I rather like my version a bit better than Grama’s.

Himbeerkucken or Raspberry Cake Ingredients

Preheat 375°

• 1 cup Flour for crust – plus 1/2 cup Flour, additional for top of crust
• 1/2 cup cold Butter
• 2 tablespoons half and half light cream
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 cups fresh Raspberries

Crust Method

In a bowl of food processor, combine 1 cup flour and butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; add cream and pulse another few seconds to incorporate cream ; pat into a greased 11 x 7 x 2 inches baking pan or similar 6 cup capacity pan.

Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup flour; sprinkle over crust. Arrange raspberries over crust on top of this. Set aside.

Topping Ingredients

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup half and half light cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Combine sugar and flour in mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, cream and vanilla; pour over berries. Bake at 375° F for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned about the edges. Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

As I said, I usually make a version of this with cherries and over time I started to finish the top with sliced almonds. It would be delicious with many varieties of fruit and nut combinations. The amount of fruit could vary a bit too depending upon what you have available.