Simple Cherry Cake for a Picnic

This simple cherry cake has a little embarassing backstory. I once baked this cake many years ago when I was going to college. I remember, it was during one of these horrible times when there were like tons of exams and I was studying like there was no tomorrow. It felt like my brain was a hardware drive and had to be fully deleted and swiped clean just to be crammed again with data and facts for the next exam. It was during this time that my roommate asked for the recipe because she enjoyed it the first time around. She had planned to make it for her family visiting. And I simply didn’t remember anymore where I got it from, my brain, my hard drive had gone blank. However, I was too ashamed to admit to not knowing, so I simply did some research and gave her a recipe I found. Unfortunately, the recipe I had passed on to her was not nearly as good. But I kept quiet, I was too embarassed. Years later when I flipped through the very old cookbook my mom had given to me from the famous German brand Dr. Oetker, I realized that actually this was the recipe I had used back then. So, Susann, if you are reading this, it had nothing to do with your baking abilities, I simply had passed on the wrong recipe to you! Sorry for that.

What I like about this cake is that it can be made either with fresh or canned cherries. It is a simple and quick recipe, you can definitely take this cake to a picnic or a beergarden (if you know what I mean, this cool place in Bavaria where you can bring your own food). We actually enjoyed the cake in one of these beergardens, it was perfect and if chilled, will keep for a few days.

Credit: From the German cookbook “Das beste Dr. Oetker Backbuch” from 1982, page 95

Print Recipe

Simple Cherry Almond Cake

Serves: One 24-26cm/8-9 inch ∅ springform

Prep Time: 30min – Cooking Time: 40-45min – Total Time: 1hr 15min

This simple cherry almond cake is prepared with an easy press-down crust, lots of cherries and is topped off with an almond layer.

Ingredients

• 150 grams of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 50 grams of regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 egg white (we will use the egg yolk separately)
• 100 grams of cold butter
• 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs
• 500 grams of either pitted cherries or canned ones
• 1 egg yolk
• 75 grams of regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 15 grams of cornstarch
• 100 grams of sliced almonds

Instructions

1

You can see in this short video how I make the cake. Grease a 24-26cm/8-9 inch cake pan with either butter or oil, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and vanilla extract into a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle and crack the egg white into this hole, reserve the egg yolk in a small bowl, we will need it. Try to create some mash with the egg white and some flour. Then add the cold butter in chunks and quickly work into a ball. Press down about 2/3 of the dough into the cake pan. Roll the other third into a long string, I divided mine in half and press this string all around the edges to create some kind of rim (see video).

3

Spread the tablespoon of bread crumbs on your prepared crust and then the cherries. Add all remaining ingredients to the egg yolk except for the almonds, add these last. Smear on the cake trying to cover the cherries. Bake for about 40-45min or until golden.