Every German Bäckerei has one of these in the window from May to July. Erdbeerkuchen — strawberry cake — is the kind of thing that looks like it belongs behind glass in a fancy pastry shop, but is actually absurdly simple to make at home.
The base is a thin, light sponge. On top goes a layer of quark cream — tangy, sweet, set with a bit of gelatin so it holds its shape — and then you pile on as many fresh strawberries as physics will allow. That’s it. No frosting, no fuss, just cream and berries on a cloud of cake.
This is my go-to when someone’s coming over and I want to look like I spent three hours in the kitchen. Actual time: about thirty minutes of work and a few hours in the fridge. The quark does the heavy lifting. I take the credit.
The Recipe
Makes: 1 cake • Prep: 30 min • Bake: 20 min • Chill: 3+ hours
For the Sponge Base
- 75 g butter, softened
- 75 g sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 2 eggs
- 150 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp milk
For the Quark Cream
- 6 sheets gelatin (or 1½ packets powdered gelatin)
- 375 g quark (or Greek yogurt as substitute)
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
Topping
- 750 g fresh strawberries, hulled
Instructions
- Bake the base: Cream the butter with sugar and vanilla sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt, then fold in alternately with the milk. Spread into a greased springform pan. Bake at 200°C, lower rack, for 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Bloom the gelatin: Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes (or prepare powdered gelatin according to package). Squeeze out and melt gently in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Make the quark cream: Mix the quark with 4 tbsp sugar and lemon juice. Whip the cream with 2 tbsp sugar to soft peaks. Stir a spoonful of quark into the melted gelatin to temper it, then fold the gelatin mixture into the quark. Fold in the whipped cream gently.
- Assemble: Spread the quark cream evenly over the cooled sponge base. Arrange the strawberries on top — halved, quartered, or whole, however you like.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until the cream is fully set.
Notes
- Quark makes this distinctly German. Greek yogurt works as a substitute but the flavor is a little different.
- Don’t skip the gelatin — without it the cream won’t hold when you slice.
- Best eaten cold, straight from the fridge.