German Blueberry Cake – Blueberry Kuchen Recipe

Dieser Beitrag ist auch verfügbar auf: Deutsch (German)

Sharing is caring!

 An easy Traditional German Blueberry Cake Recipe with Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling and Streusel Topping! This Blueberry Kuchen Recipe is a keeper. Jump to Recipe

Traditional German Blueberry Cake Recipe – Blueberry Kuchen 

This recipe for Traditional German Blueberry Cake has been in my family for years. My grandmother used to make it every summer when blueberries would be in season. It is similar to an Amish Blueberry Cake but it’s richer. It is made with a simple shortcrust pastry that does not have to be chilled.

This German Blueberry Kuchen contains a KILO of blueberries! And as you know, the best part about German Cakes is that since they contain A LOT of fruit, so you can imagine that they are also healthier to eat than a traditional blueberry pie. Therefore, you can have that second slice without feeling one bit of guilt. 

For an authentic German Blueberry Kuchen, the blueberry filling is thickened with Vanilla Pudding Powder. The little envelopes of vanilla custard powder you often find in the international food aisle. But don’t worry if you don’t find them. You can use cornstarch and vanilla extract instead. 

My easy Shortcrust pastry does not have to rest

Shortcrust pastry without resting time and without rolling out! YES! 
What I love about this German blueberry cake recipe is that the pastry part is so simple. Similar to traditional shortcrust pastry, we make this pastry from flour, sugar, egg, and soft butter.  But we add baking powder. German shortcrust pastry or Mürbeteig often uses baking powder which gives the pastry a nice rise in the oven. The egg makes the dough more elastic and easy to work with.

All of this will help get the dough into shape. Remember to take the butter out of the fridge an hour before baking and the pastry will be ready in no time. I prepare the pastry with a hand mixer with a dough hook. Sometimes I just knead everything together using my hands. Just knead the ingredients until they have combined. Don’t work it too hard or the dough will be very sticky.

The pastry can be made ahead of time

If you want to work ahead of time, you can leave the dough to rest in the refrigerator for several days. You can even freeze the dough. The same applies to the streusel. They can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or even frozen.

The crumbles for this German Blueberry Cake are also made of shortcrust pastry. Here, we use a different ratio than the one we use for the pastry. The ingredients are kneaded together, and they do not form a perfect bond with each other and the typical crumbs are created. The crumble recipe also goes great with German apple, plum or classic crumble cakes.

How to make German Blueberry Cake

Use a flour sifter and sift the flour with the baking powder together into a bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Mix well. Make a hole in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg. Cut the butter into cubes and distribute on top. With your hands or using a hand mixer with the hook attachments, knead all the ingredients together until you have a  smooth dough. The dough is ready when it is no longer sticky.

Line a springform pan with parchment paper. Use a bit more than the half of the dough and spread it on the bottom of the springform by hand. Divide the rest of the dough in two.

This is for the outer crust. Form two rolls and place them around the inside of the baking pan. Using your fingers, press the rolls up against the sides of the springform (about 2 inches high) and connect it with the bottom part of the pastry. Make sure all the dough is sealed at the edges. Use a fork to make a few small holes in the dough. Set aside.

Make the Blueberry Pie Filling: 

Wash the blueberries in a colander under running water. Place them in a saucepan and add sugar, zest and lemon juice. Bring the blueberries to a boil slowly while stirring continuously with a spoon. Stir from the sides towards the center  Let the berries boil for about 3 minutes, but not longer than 5 minutes.

Dissolve pudding powder or cornstarch and vanilla extract with 5 tablespoons of cold water and add to the berries. Stir with your spoon until the color becomes red. Pour the berry mixture in a bowl and stir until it has cooled down.

Then pour it on top of the pastry. Make sure you pour the filling evenly so that the mixture fills all the way to the edges of the pastry.

Make the Crumble Topping

Add flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and butter in a bowl and knead with the dough hooks of your handheld mixer. When combined, rub the dough between your hands. The crumbles should fall back into the bowl. Make sure that all the butter is worked well into the crumbs. If your crumbles are too dry, add a little more butter. If the crumbles are too moist, add some flour. Spread the crumbles evenly on top of your cake.

Preheat your oven to 182°C (360°F) and place the cake on the middle rack. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Let the cake cool down in the spring-form pan, before you take it out. I like to make it a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Carefully move the cake with the help of a cake lifter onto the serving plate. Serve with whipped cream.

Tips: 

• You can use fresh or frozen blueberries
• Make sure to chill the cake before serving it. The blueberry filling needs to set. 
• You can use gluten-free flour to make the blueberry cake gluten-free 

More German Cake recipes 

• Blueberry Bundt Cake with Sour Cream 
• German Plum Cake
• Blueberry Blitz Torte

★ Did you make and love this German Blueberry Cake recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!