Obstkuchen (German fruit cake)

It was a week after Valentine's Day and I entered the grocery store to find the strawberries on sale for $2.00 a carton. I know, I know. Strawberries in the winter? Although I tried to avoid the temptation of those sweet, succulent little berries (as it is the middle of winter and there is absolutely no way those berries came from anywhere close by), my taste buds eventually got the best of me. So here I am, enjoying a slice of this delicious cake, writing this new blog post and trying not to think too hard about what it may mean if we are able to eat strawberries (and kiwis and peaches) in Minnesota in the middle of winter. If you are also an environmentally conscious omnivore (or trying to be one, in my case) and are contemplating taking a stab at this recipe then I leave you with two choices.

1. Go ahead, try the cake. Make it for someone special or tell everyone that I forced you to bake this cake. That can be your "excuse" for buying these fruits during the off-season.

2. Or the second option. Save this recipe for later. Cry a little. Think about how delicious this would taste right now as you look outside counting the days until summer arrives. Decide that maybe this could be your little treat for having to shovel the six inches of snow off your driveway.  Try the cake.

3. Ok, I guess there could be a third option. You really could save this recipe, knowing that you are doing the right thing by not buying into our food system that allows you to eat any food you desire at any time of the year. But let's be honest. As good as your intentions are, how can you really resist such a tempting treat? Try the cake.

Well it's decided. It looks like you might as well try this delectable treat. Perhaps you have some frozen fruit that you can use, or perhaps you live somewhere warm where you really can purchase these items locally. Either way, this is a dessert you are not going to want to miss out on.

Obstkuchen

aka German fruit cake 

~Serves 6-8~ 

Ingredients: 

For the Sponge cake:

~1/4 lb butter (1 stick)- softened 

~ 2 eggs, separated 

~ 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp sugar (1/4 lb)

~ 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp flour (1/4 lb)

~ 1 tbsp baking powder 

~ 1 tsp vanilla extract

~ 1 tsp almond extract 

~ 1/2 cup of milk 

For the topping:

~ 1 cup heavy whipping cream

~ 1 cup sliced strawberries

~ 1 kiwi - sliced (see picture)

~ 1 can of peaches, drained and sliced

~ OR substitute any fruit of your choice

 ~ 1 packet of unflavored gelatin

~ 1/3 cup boiling water 

Egg yolks, sugar and butter

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 8 inch round baking pan, making sure to get the sides. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth. Add the sugar and softened butter and continue mixing until the butter and sugar are well incorporated. Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla and almond extracts. The batter should be a sticky, creamy consistency. I am of the opinion that a taste test is the best way to determine whether the batter is up to par. A spoonful, or two, or three should do the trick.

                                                                                        

Flour mixture

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. If you have never done this before, this will take more time than you expect (a few minutes). To determine whether you have reached the correct consistency, the egg whites should start looking like whipped cream. Pull the spoon from the bowl and if the whites begin to peak, you have the correct consistency. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture and slowly add the milk until you have a soft dropping consistency. The batter will be fluffy.

Flour mixture + egg whites 

Transfer batter to round cake pan, and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake the cake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes. The cake will be a soft, golden brown when done. Test cake with tooth pick (or fork) to make sure the cake is ready. Remove from oven and cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Once cooled, you can either keep the cake in the baking dish, or transfer the cake to a different plate. 

Sponge Cake

While the cake is baking, prepare the whipped cream and slice the fruit. There are different ways to slice the strawberries. Here, I have sliced the berries by removing the stem and slicing the berries horizontally. You can also make thin slices by slicing vertically as well. 

Sliced fruit- awaiting placement

 Once the cake is cooled, gently spread the whipped cream over the entire cake until you have a sufficient layer. You can use as much, or as little whipped cream as you please. I personally prefer a nice thick layer, as the whipped cream will soak into the sponge cake if the cake is still a little warm.

Sponge cake with whipped cream layer

Now here comes the best part... decorating the cake! Place the slices of fruit on the cake in any arrangement you so desire. I enjoy alternating the peaches with the strawberries as it gives for a beautifully colorful cake, and the combination of the two flavors work wonderfully together.

Ok, so your cake looks beautiful and you are probably just dying to take a bite.... but there is just one last step left. If you can wait just a little bit longer, I promise you will be even more pleased with the final product. The last step involves covering the entire cake with a thin layer of gelatin to help preserve the fruit. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin, 1-2 Tbsp of sugar and boiling water. Mix until dissolved. Once dissolved, quickly poor the mixture over the entire cake. You can use a pastry brush to help evenly disperse and prevent the gelatin from bunching up. Let the cake sit for 5 minutes, while the gelatin hardens. At this point, you can either dive right in, and enjoy a scrumptious piece ( I know you have been waiting quite a while!), or you can let the cake cool in the fridge for a bit until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Food for thought: 

~ This week's food for thought was a little bit more difficult to come up with. As you know, I do try to highlight ways to incorporate healthy, sustainable foods into your cooking.  Although these fruits are healthy, eating them in the winter is surely not sustainable. So here I leave you with a few alternative ways to enjoy this cake in the winter without buying fruits that are not in season. 

          1. Use frozen fruit. Freezing left over berries from the summer is a perfect way to incorporate those summer fruits all year round. Just make sure to thaw the berries prior to placing on the cake, otherwise you will be in for quite the surprise when you bite into a very solid, very cold strawberry. Trust me, it's no fun. 

          2.  Perhaps you made some homemade jam this summer. Spread a nice thick layer of the jam over the cake prior to adding the whipped cream. Instead of having a nice arrangement of fruit on top, serve the cake with a dollop of  (frozen) fruit compote. To make the compote, heat the frozen berries on the stove with a little bit of sugar, cook until tender.
         3. Of course your final option would be to wait to make this cake until summer arrives and fresh berries are in season. This would be your most sustainable (and ethical) choice. If you do choose this option, I applaud you on your dedication.... maybe I will get there someday too.