Kirschenplotzer WHAT? A German Cherry Cake


I'm not a fruit girl (except for citrus), but I do love cherries.

T'is the cherry season. Right now.
Washington or NY State cherries.....good stuff.

Here is my ONE cherry dessert for the season.
Yes, I own a cherry pitter, however, I hate pitting pounds of cherries.

As I've said before, the juice gets all over my counters, cutting boards and makes a mess every time.


This cake is worth the aggravation.
It's a traditional German cake called a "kirschenplotzer".

This is better than the usual cherry pie in the sky.

Kirschenplotzer/German Cherry Cake (adapted from Mile High Kitchen):

1 pound fresh sweet dark cherries, pitted
1/4 cup (60g) butter, unsalted, at room temp.
2/3 cup ( 130g) sugar
3 eggs, at room temp.
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/4 (150 g) cup flour
1 1/8 cup (150 g) corn meal or medium grind polenta
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup 1 tablespoon (100 ml) milk

The original recipe wants you to bake the cake at 400F, but my oven doesn't like cakes at that temp, so I took the liberty and turned it down to 375F.

Grease and flour a 10" springform pan.

Sift the flour and mix with cornmeal and baking powder. Set aside.

In a stand mixer combine the butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix well.

Add vanilla and almond extract. Mix well.

With the stand mixer on slow, alternate mixing in the flour and milk.

Fold in the cherries by hand with a spatula.

Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan 10 minutes then remove the ring and let cool on a rack.


I made an icing, non-traditional.......I added 1 cup of confectioner's sugar w/ 1 tbsp milk and some sliced almonds. I poured it over the cake while still warm. The icing will harden.


So good.
Enjoy!

Comments

Susan..... said…
I wonder how this cake would bake with sugar plums? Next door neighbor had two cherry trees. I ate enough cherries to last a lifetime and a half. I tend to shy away from them now, but I love anything with cornmeal in it. This looks like it has an excellent crumb and would love to try it....minus the cherries, sorry all you cherry lovers.
Bebe said…
Love cherries but the prices are asronomical. Some varieties grow near here but the prices never go into reasonable territory. So any I buy are for eating fresh.

Wondering if Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries (in jar) would work if drained? They are from Germany. Label mentions "may contain pits" so they'd have to be checked.

Are you familiar with them (they are slightly sweetened, ready to eat - not sour pie cherries).
Bebe said…
PS. I have a cherry pitter that I bought years ago. It is still in its package. :)
Kathy Walker said…
I bought a new cherry pitter...and after mastering the art...I am a happy girl. I am also a fortunate girl. Our neighbor invited us to pick in his friend's orchard. We got to go in after the pickers and take all we wanted. We are in cherry heaven!
Bebe said…
Sorry for the extra post, but I went to the source for this recipe. The blogger is of necessity a high-altitude baker. She has a section on High Altitude Cooking. Do you suppose that this recipe is already converted for high altitude use? That would explain the increase in the baking temp. And maybe other things have been altered?
Stacey Snacks said…
Bebe
You could be right about the high altitude baking from the original recipe (that would explain her 400F temperature!).

I baked mine at 375F and altered a few things, it came out perfect and delicious!

Stacey
woolyavril said…
That cake looks delicious. I wish I could come to your house for a slice. It would only involve a transatlantic flight and transfers and that cake looks worth the effort!
Velva said…
OMG! The Cherry cake rocks! Divine. Thanks for sharing.


Velva
Bluebird NY said…
My German mother-in-law (you know who!) bakes her cherry cake with unpitted cherries. She says it keeps the cake moist. I'm going to share this recipe with her :) xoxo