einfach Archives - Jenny is baking

Hard Toffee (Done in 15 Minutes)

For this hard toffee you will only need to invest about 10-15 minutes. Seriously, in my opinion there is nothing nicer than a quick and satisfying recipe. Bonus point, you don’t even have to turn on the oven. So if you are looking for a last-minute gift, something to bring to an event, this toffee is for you. I already published a softer caramel, which the Scots call tablet and which is traditionally cut in small squares. In comparison it takes ages to make tablet, but this toffee is really done rather quickly. If you are worried about cleaning your pot afterwards check this blog post. But let’s get back to this toffee. I love the combination of sweet and savory. The sprinkled salt on top is optional. I personally find it takes it to the next level. Continue Reading…

04/11/2025

Quick and Easy Plum Cake

If you are short on time and can’t make the traditional German Zwetschgendatschi with yeast dough, you may want to try this version. Instead of yeast, we are going to work with baking powder as the leavener. The base is a sort of cream cheese/sour cream type of dough relying on oil instead of butter. It comes together in minutes and can immediately be baked. No rising times, no waiting. I like my fruit cakes with lots and lots of crumbs on top. These have some silvered almonds included. However, you may omit the crumbs or streusel completely or make the simple version with flour, butter, and sugar. I provide the recipe for a half-sheet cake below. If you want to have a full sheet, simply double all amounts.

08/08/2025

Simple Apricot Cake

This simple apricot cake is exactly what you need for a picnic, I took pictures outside on purpose. Sitting in a green area with a piece of this cake sounds perfect to me. The cake is easy to make and does not require any chilling times. Even though there are only two of us, we gobbled it up quickly. I was inspired by this simple cherry cake, but I would be me if I didn’t tweak the recipe a bit and made it even simpler. If you are looking for some more recipes with apricots or peaches, how about this blog article with 14 apricot and peach recipes.

11/07/2025

German Cheesecake with No Crust

My grandma was a wonderful cook and she baked the most amazing cakes. I was gifted a recipe booklet from her. She passed away a few years ago so you probably can understand that this is a little treasure for me. Today I am introducing a German cheesecake recipe I found in this little booklet of hers. She titled it “Quarckkuchen”. I was surprised she actually had written down measurements for the recipe, that is not always the case. A full kilo of German quark (similar to farmer’s cheese) has to go into the cake. Maybe you can find quark in Aldi or Lidl? Unfortunately, the steps involved in making this cake were pretty limited, e.g. no oven temperature or time was given. So I decided to give it a go and put into place what I have learned so far of cheesecakes and how to avoid cracks. I think the result speaks for itself, there were no cracks whatsoever, I am so proud. I wish I could hand a piece to my grandma for her to try.

06/06/2025

Argentinian Crescents – Medialunas

Argentinian crescents are called medialunas, which translates as half moons. I would say they are a distant cousin of French croissants or the Italian cornettos. However, instead of creating a layer of butter seperately, which is then folded into the dough, we will add it directly to the dough. The whole laminating process, which means that the dough is rolled out and folded and then chilled, is kept to a minimum. We will only do it one round. I think this is the perfect compromise, it gives us some of those flaky layers, but does not require as many resting times as the traditional croissant. However, despite a reduction in resting times, this still is a yeast dough, which means that you will need time before you can finally bite into one. I have to admit, suddenly I had eaten three even though I only wanted to eat one…

16/05/2025

Super Easy and Quick Rhubarb Cake

You need a super easy and quick rhubarb cake that is simple to make and done rather quickly? I got you covered. We are going to make a dough that serves as the base as well as the crumbs. This dough does not need to chill like pie crust and this is also the reason why the cake is in the oven rather quickly. The filling also has to be prepared, but not be heated, it will be placed raw on the base and then baked to perfection. In Germany this cake is traditionally served with a dollop of whipped cream and/or icing sugar sprinkled on top. I originally had planned to dust the cake before taking pictures, but I somehow forgot. I digged into the warm cake and devoured two pieces, that is how excited I got!

02/05/2025

Simple Apple Streusel Cake

Ole from the German blog Nimmersatt has a legendary apple cake on his blog, which has been on my baking list forever. I finally have come around to making it. The recipe is from his beloved granny (actually not his real grandma, but a neighbor that took him under her wings) that sounds very much like my own grandma. Just as granny Hanna would always have a cake in the house and offer it to friends and family, so did my grandma. My grandma was a very good cook and always made something sweet. If it was somebody’s birthday, there would be so much cake and so many different pastries that the table would almost break down. She always made too much, but that is how she liked it. Usually her cakes were simple, one typical one would be a sheet cake with fruits and crumbs or peppernuts.

19/10/2024

Simple Sour Cream Cake

This is a German recipe from the south, this is a simple sour cream cake. It was passed down by a reader, I didn’t even know of its existence and had to do some research. I learned that this can be classified as a cheesecake. It is made with sour cream containing 10% fat and heavy cream. What I like about this cake is several things. Number 1 being, it does not need a waterbath. Number 2: despite the fact that it is baked at a relatively high temperature, it does not crack easily. Number 3: as it uses this mild sour cream, it is not a tangy as some other German cheesecakes, it is slightly milder in taste. So will these reasons mean that you give it a try?

13/09/2024

Simple Plum Coffee Cake

Today I have a simple and easy plum coffee cake for you. You don’t have to wait for yeast dough like for this Bavarian plum cake called Zwetschgendatschi or have to chill dough like for this plum tart. This is a dough you can put into the cake fom right away. I believe you will need less than 30 minutes until the oven takes over and you can relax. The cake also has a wonderful almond crust, which is mixed together in minutes and which gives this cake some extra points. A simple, yet delicious coffee cake you can carry to a picnic or which you get bring to a pot luck, can I interest you in it?

23/08/2024

Simple Apricot Sheet Cake

Today you will get a simple apricot sheet cake. Because I love apricots and because I needed a simple cake, one you can eat with your hands and you may take to a picnic. For that reason I took pictures outside, I wanted to feel the fresh summer air. I guarantee, this cake is going to disappear faster than you can look. We happily ate it. As it is only the two of us, I made a slightly smaller version, but you can use a regular baking sheet. For 13 more apricot recipes, check this blog post.

05/07/2024

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