Träubleskuchen – currant meringue cake

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 250 g wholemeal wheat flour or spelt flour type 630
• 1 pinch of baking powder
• 125 g butter
• 65 g sugar
• 3 egg yolks, size M
• 1 organic lemon(s), zest
• Butter for the mold
• 3 egg whites, size M
• 100 g sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 50 g hazelnuts, ground for sprinkling
• 500 g currants (Träuble)

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

the best Swabian Träubleskuchen recipe

Sift flour into a mixing bowl and mix in the baking powder. Add the butter, sugar, egg yolks, and grated lemon zest, and knead into a shortcrust pastry using a dough hook. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, remove the stalks from the blackcurrants (this works best if you pull the stalks through the tines of a fork). For the meringue, beat the egg whites with the whisk of a food processor until stiff peaks form. Mix the sugar with the cornstarch and gradually beat into the beaten egg whites while the mixer is running. Preheat the oven to 160°C (top/bottom heat). Grease the bottom of a 28 cm springform pan with butter—but not the sides, so the edges don’t sag during pre-baking. Roll out the shortcrust pastry to about 4 mm thick; this works best between cling film. Place the shortcrust pastry in the baking pan as the base and form a 5 cm high rim. Prick the base several times with a fork. Pre-bake the shortcrust pastry base in the pan in the hot oven for about 15 minutes, until it’s lightly browned (press the edges again if they have sunk). Tip: Professionals use dried pulses or rice for “blind baking” to prevent the edges from sinking. Then, of course, pour out the “blind filling.” Sprinkle the ground hazelnuts on the base (prevents further moisture seepage). Fold 2/3 of the meringue mixture into the currants with a spatula and spread evenly in the pan. Spread the remaining third of the meringue mixture onto the currant mixture with the spatula and continue baking the cake for another 35 minutes at the same temperature. After about 15 minutes (when the meringue mixture has taken on a light brown color), cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent the cake from overcooking. Let the cake cool, run a knife along the edge, and open the springform pan. Träubleskuchen is a seasonal specialty for early summer—although you can also use frozen Träubles.