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German Dessert Recipes

Uttara Manohar
For those who have a sweet tooth that nags your senses for rich, sweet dishes then you'll find these scrumptious German dessert recipes quite satisfying. These recipes have been around since a very long time and have gained numerous variations across the globe.
Germany is known for its wide range of delicious desserts, which are simply irresistible! The German desserts include a wide variety of cakes and tarts, which are usually made with fresh fruits like apples, plums, strawberries, and cherries.
Some of the most popular ones remain to be the cheesecake, the famous Black forest cake, the filled donuts, the German pancakes known as Eierkuchen and the Rote Grutze pudding.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - German Black Forest Cake

The Black forest cake known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is a southern German dessert. Typically, it consists of several layers of chocolate cake separated with layers of whipped cream and cherries.
Kirschwasser is a clear, colorless fruit brandy, which is used as an ingredient in this cake. The cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.
Ingredients:
  • Semi sweet chocolate, 500g
  • White sugar, 2½ cups
  • Whipped cream, 2 cups
  • All-purpose flour, 2 cups
  • Pitted cherries, 1 can
  • Milk, 1½ cups
  • Cocoa powder, 1 cup (Unsweetened)
  • Shortening, ½ cup
  • Kirschwasser, ½ cup
  • Eggs, 2
  • Baking soda, 1½ teaspoons
  • Salt, 1 teaspoon
  • Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
  • Salt, a pinch
Preparation:
  • First, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Cover the base of two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper circles.
  • Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set the mixture aside.
  • Now, beat the shortening and sugar until the mixture gets light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs, vanilla extract, and beat well and stir in the milk to form a paste.
  • Pour the mixture into the baking pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Allow the cake to cool down completely and remove the paper from underneath the cakes.
  • Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers of the cake.
  • Sprinkle all the layers of the cake with Kirschwasser.
  • Now whip the cream and blend in the vanilla, sugar, salt, and Kirschwasser.
  • Spread the whipped cream and cherry filling on every layer of the cake.
  • Now, frost the top and sides of the cake.
  • Sprinkle with chocolate curls and serve chilled.

Rote Grutze - German Custard

A popular dessert in northern Germany, Rote Grütze, is a red fruit pudding, made with black and red currants, raspberries, strawberries, or cherries. It is served with cream, but sometimes even with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.
Ingredients:
  • Raspberries, 1½ lbs
  • Black currants, 1 lbs
  • Sugar, 1 cup
  • Rum, 1 cup
  • Water, 1 quart
  • Cornstarch, ½ cup
Preparation:
  • Wash the currants and berries and pick out the stems.
  • Combine the fruit with water and sugar in a saucepan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the fruit over medium heat until the fruit softens a little. Do not overcook the mixture; the fruits should retain their shape.
  • Stir in the cornstarch into some water and dissolve it into the juice.
  • Bring the mixture to boil, cook until thickened, and then remove from heat.
  • Blend in the rum in this mixture now.
  • Set the pudding and serve chilled with cold milk or cream.

Wiener Apfelstrudel - Apple Strudel

This traditional German dessert can be served both warm and chilled. It is best accompanied with vanilla sauce or vanilla ice cream and a drink of tea or coffee.
Ingredients:

For Strudel dough:
  • All-purpose flour, 9 oz
  • Water, ½ cup (lukewarm)
  • Egg, 1
  • Vegetable Oil, 2 tablespoons
  • Salt, a pinch
For Glaze:
  • Breadcrumbs, 3 oz (roasted in butter)
  • Butter, 1½ oz (melted)
For Filling:
  • Tart apples, 3½ lbs (peeled and sliced thin)
  • Nuts, 3½ oz (chopped)
  • Sugar, 3½ oz
  • Sultanas, 3½ oz
  • Rum, 3 tablespoons
  • Cinnamon, 1½ teaspoons
For Baking:
  • Butter, 1 oz
  • Cream, 3 tablespoons (sweet)
  • Sugar, 2 teaspoons
Preparation:
  • First, prepare the strudel dough. For this sieve the flour and mix salt in it.
  • Mix oil, egg, and lukewarm water in it till you get a soft and smooth dough.
  • Now, knead the dough quickly till it becomes slightly elastic in nature.
  • Brush the ball of dough with oil and let it rest in a warm place for ½ hour. The dough is now ready to use.
  • Meanwhile put the apples, nuts, and sultanas in a mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, spices, and rum, and let the mixture rest till the rum is absorbed completely.
  • Roll out the dough and spread it.
  • Brush the dough with butter and sprinkle the roasted breadcrumbs on it.
  • Spread the filling on the dough evenly leaving out only the edges.
  • Fold the edges, and apply some butter. Roll the dough and place it on a buttered baking sheet, seam down. Brush the roll with butter.
  • Bake the strudel for about 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 400°F. During the baking process brush the roll with butter several times. A few minutes before removing the strudel from the oven, brush it with sweet cream.
  • Remove from the oven and let it rest for some time. Cut the roll into slices and dust with powdered sugar. The strudel is ready to be served.
With some creativity you can make variations to the given German dessert recipes, and impress your friends and family. Viel Glück!