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Cream Cakes, Whipped Cream Cakes, Layer Cakes

Cherry Quark Crown Cake

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Cherry quark crown cake with upright sponge points around a quark cream filling

4.8 (5)out of 5, 5 ratings

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Prep
6 hr
Bake
24 min
Total
6 hr 24 min
Makes
13 slices

Quark cream with cherries is sooo delicious. It always reminds me of my mom's quark dessert. Creamy hot cherries and a fresh whipped cream filling with a fluffy vanilla sponge. Delicious. The crown look is so easy to copy and works even for beginners, because nothing here has to be done quickly. The crown cake is not a quick recipe, but I'm sure it will be a showstopper on any coffee table. If you're not so keen on cherries, you can swap them for mandarin oranges and replace the quark with schmand (thick sour cream: a thick cultured cream with about 20 to 24 percent fat, richer than American sour cream; in the US use full-fat sour cream, or half sour cream and half crème fraîche; in the UK, soured cream mixed with an equal amount of crème fraîche), and you'll have a lovely mandarin schmand cake.

Ingredients

Makes 13 slices

Sponge

  • 4large eggsGerman size M
  • 1 cup plus 1 tbsp220 ggranulated sugar
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 2 tspvanilla sugar1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g). Sugar flavored with real vanilla, sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets from the baking aisle, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet.
  • 2 cups240 gall-purpose flourType 405. In German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 1 tspbaking powderGerman baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet; in the UK, baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.
  • 2 tbsp30 gunsalted buttermelted. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.

Cherry filling

  • 1 jarcherriesA standard German jar holds about 12 oz (350 g) drained cherries.
  • 1 cup plus 1 tbsp260 mlcherry juicetop up with water if needed
  • 3 tbsp25 gcornstarchOr custard pudding powder. Cornstarch is a fine starch, usually made from corn, used to thicken creams and lighten cakes (UK: cornflour). Custard pudding powder is a packet of flavored starch (about 37 g) that is cooked with 2 cups (500 ml) of milk and sugar into a thick pudding; in the US use about 1/3 cup (40 g) cornstarch plus 1 tsp vanilla extract per packet, and in the UK custard powder, about 40 g per German packet (it is unsweetened, so it swaps 1:1 by weight).
  • 1 tbspgranulated sugar
  • 2 tspvanilla sugar1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g)

Quark cream

  • 2 sheetsagar-based gelling powderA plant-based gelling powder made with agar; it has to be boiled briefly to set. In the US use agar agar powder, using the amount on its package because strengths vary; in the UK, agar agar powder, using the amount on its package because strengths vary.
  • 1 cup250 gquark4% fat. Quark is a fresh, mild and slightly tangy cheese with a spoonable texture, used in German cheesecakes, doughs and creams. In the US use full-fat Greek yogurt strained overnight, or farmer's cheese; in the UK, quark from the supermarket chiller (choose a full-fat one if you can find it).
  • 5 tbsp60 ggranulated sugar
  • 1 ⅔ cups400 mlheavy creamGerman cream for whipping has about 30 to 32 percent fat. In the US use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; in the UK, whipping cream (double cream also works but whips faster, so watch it).
  • 7 tbsp100 mlwater

Method

Sponge

  1. Line the bottom of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Do not (!) grease the sides. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C) convection (fan).

  2. For the sponge, beat the eggs with the salt, vanilla sugar and sugar vigorously for 10 minutes.

  3. Mix the flour and baking powder, sift them over the egg mixture and fold in with love.

  4. Finally, drizzle in the melted butter and briefly fold it in as well. Pour the batter into the springform pan and smooth the top, then put it in the preheated oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

  5. After baking, let it cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Cherry filling

  1. For the cherry filling, bring the juice to a boil with the sugar and vanilla sugar. Take out a splash of juice beforehand and use it to dissolve the cornstarch.

  2. As soon as the juice boils, take it off the heat, stir in the cornstarch mixture and put it back on the stove. Bring it back to a bubbling boil once while stirring, then add the cherries and stir them in gently.

  3. Cover the cherry filling with plastic wrap and let it cool completely.

Quark filling

  1. Bring the gelling powder to a boil with the water and 7 tbsp (100 ml) of the cream and boil for 2 minutes, then let it cool for a few minutes.

  2. Stir the quark with the sugar. Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks.

  3. Stir the gelling mixture into the quark, then fold in the whipped cream.

Assembly

  1. Remove the sponge from the pan and cut it in half horizontally once to make 2 layers.

  2. Cut the top layer of the sponge into 12 to 14 pieces.

  3. Put the springform ring around the bottom layer and stand the cut pieces of the top layer upright inside the ring, pointing upward like a crown.

  4. Now spread the cherry filling evenly over the bottom layer, then add the quark cream on top and press the sponge points onto the cream.

  5. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours, then remove it from the pan, dust with powdered sugar (very finely ground sugar for icings and dusting; in the US powdered sugar, also called confectioners' sugar; in the UK icing sugar) and enjoy.