The German Easter Cake is an easy to make cake with a light and moist filling containing raisins or alternatively sour cherries. Originally the recipe is from Switzerland but it became quite popular in Germany as well. The recipe is using fine semolina, and the best is to check some international markets. It’s the one that we use in Germany to make “Griessbrei” (Semolina porridge). Happy Baking!
Base Cake:
- 200 g flour all purpose (in German Weizenmehl)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 g soft butter
- 40 g sugar
- zest of 1/2 organic lemon
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 3 tbsp apricot jam
- 400 ml milk
- 1 dash salt
- 55 g semolina, fine & unsweetened (in German it’s called “Grieß”)
- juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 50 g butter
- 45 g sugar
- 40 g raisins, rinsed with hot water
- 20 g ground almonds
- 3 eggs, separated
Make the Base Cake :
- Combine all ingredients for the dough. Knead with hands until you get a smooth dough.
- Set aside 175 g of the dough.
- Grease a 10 inch spring form with butter and dust flour on top.
- Roll remaining dough.
- Place into the spring form.
- Now use the set aside dough and form a long roll which will be placed all around covering the rim of the form. Gently press the dough along the form.
- With a fork poke the bottom dough several times.
- Place the dough in the fridge.
Make the Filling:
- Bring milk to a boil, add salt and semolina, reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 min, stir frequently. Cooking time depends on what kind of semolina you are using.
- Preheat oven to 420 F, place the rack on the lowest level.
- Remove semolina milk from stove.
- Mix in lemon juice and zest, butter, raisins, sugar and almonds. Let cool off a bit.
- Separate eggs.
- Add egg yolks to the very good cooled off filling.
- Beat egg white until firm, then add to the filling, fold in carefully with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Heat the jam and if necessary squeeze through a sieve so the jam has no coarse parts in it. Spread the jam all over the bottom dough, then add filling on top.
- Bake for 30 min.
- Let cool off.
- Dust with powdered sugar, and if you like use an Easter Bunny stencil for Easter decoration.
