Do you have too many red currants at home and don’t know what to do with them? I might have the solution for you here! Simply bake the best red currant cake in the world! In Swabia, Germany, it is known as Träubleskuchen and very well loved.
It just tastes like it came from a Swabian bakery, and I just love it. 🙂
it is one of my favourite cakes ever, as it is not such a sweet one. And I really love the different flavours the red currant cake has-sweet and sour is just wow! And if it is too sour for you-especially if you got red currants who are super sour, simply serve the cake with some lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Swabian red currant cake
Just a heads up: I use grams and Celsius degrees in all my recipes, as I’m based in Germany.
Equipment
- 1 Springform 24 cm
Ingredients
shortcrust base
- 250 g flour
- 65 g sugar
- 1 whole egg size M
- 1 pinch of salt
- 125 g butter cold, cut in small pieces
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch freshly grated lemon peel
- 1 Tbsp cold water if the dough is still crumbly
Meringue mixture
- 500 g red currants
- 4 pieces eggwhites (size M)
- 1 pinch salt
- 180 g sugar
- 125 g ground almonds
- 40 g corn starch
Instructions
Shortcrust:
- Prepare the shortcrust pastry:Knead all ingredients into a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.250 g flour, 65 g sugar, 1 whole egg, 1 pinch of salt, 125 g butter, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 Tbsp cold water, 1 pinch freshly grated lemon peel
- Preheat the oven: Preheat to 180°C (top and bottom heat / 350°F).
- Roll out the dough & blind bake: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and line the baking tin with it – don’t forget the sides.Place a sheet of baking paper on top and weigh it down with baking weights or dried beans.Blind bake for about 10–15 minutes.
Meringue mixture
- Let cool & prepare the filling: Take the base out of the oven and let it cool slightly. In the meantime, prepare the filling.
- Prepare the red currants: Wash the berries, pat dry and carefully remove them from the stems.
- Weigh & prep ingredients: Weigh out all ingredients for the almond meringue and have them ready to go.
- Make the meringue:Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.Gradually add the sugar while beating, until the mixture is glossy.Combine ground almonds and starch, then gently fold into the egg whites.Finally, add the red currants and fold them in carefully.500 g red currants, 4 pieces eggwhites, 1 pinch salt, 180 g sugar, 125 g ground almonds, 40 g corn starch
- Assemble & bake the cake:Spread the meringue mixture evenly over the baked pastry base. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Let cool: Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely.
- If you want you can add some powder sugar
Nutrition
The nutritional values are automatically calculated – I use them as a rough guide myself when I want to keep track.
Disclaimer
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no extra cost to you.
How to prepare a red currant cake:
For this you will need:
- shortcrust
- red currants
- whipped cream
- ground almonds
So first, you prepare your homemade shortcrust pastry base and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Then you will need to blind-bake it so that the pastry stays nice and crispy and doesn’t get soggy with all the fruit on top.
And here’s how to blind bake:
Blind baking is a technique commonly used in the preparation of tarts, quiches, and other pastry items where the crust is pre-baked before adding the filling. This helps ensure that the crust bakes evenly and becomes crispy without becoming soggy from the filling. Here’s how to do it:
- Prepare the pastry: Prepare the pastry as described in the recipe, then roll it out and place it in the desired baking dish. Make sure the pastry is even and free of cracks.
- Line with parchment paper: Line the pastry with parchment paper by placing a piece of parchment paper over the pastry and gently pressing it into the dish. Leave enough overhang at the edges of the pastry to hold the weight of the baking weights.
- Add baking weights: Fill the dish with baking weights. You can use special baking weights, dried beans, peas, or rice for this purpose. The baking weights should completely cover the parchment paper and the pastry to prevent it from puffing up during baking.
- Pre-bake the pastry: Preheat your oven to the temperature specified in the recipe. Bake the pastry with the weights for about 10-15 minutes at a temperature of about 180°C (350°F).
- Remove baking weights: Once the pastry has been pre-baked, remove the dish from the oven and carefully take out the parchment paper with the baking weights. Be careful not to burn yourself as the weights may be hot.
- Fill the pastry: Now your pastry is ready to be filled with the filling for the currant cake.
And for how to make the filling, I’ll share that with you here:
While the shortcrust cools down a little, the red currants need to be washed and plucked/peeled from the stalk.
This is actually quite easy to do:
plucking the red currants
Carefully pull the washed red currants down from the stalk. If you pull them upwards, they will have some stalks left on them.
Pulling downwards, the berries simply come off the stem.
After that, an egg white Meringue is made, and then you carefully fold in the ground almonds, corn starch and the red currants.
Preparing the meringue
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Slowly drizzle in the sugar and then carefully fold in first the almonds mixed with the starch and then the red currants.
Add the mixture on the blind baked shortcrust pastry.
Then bake the red currant cake for about 50 minutes, let it cool down and enjoy.
If you like, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.
Tada! Now you have a delicious red currant cake that really tastes like it came from a Swabian bakery! And if you are on the lookout for some tips on baking, take a look here.
How long can I store the cake?
If you store the red currant cake in a cool and dry place, it will keep for about 2-3 days. However, if you add a few redcurrants on top, the top meringue layer will no longer be crispy the next day.
Hence my tip: Only decorate the cake when you need it 😉
As you can see, a red currant cake like that is not that difficult!
And if you are wondering of what to cook/ bake with the reminder of the 4 egg yolks, why not try to make a Sauce Hollandaise! I have a foolproof tip on how to make it 🙂
Have fun baking and enjoy it!
love,
Sabrina 💛
What is a Träubleskuchen/ swabian red currant cake?
Träubleskuchen is a traditional red currant cake from Southern Germany (Swabia). It’s made with a buttery short crust base, tart red currants, and a fluffy meringue topping – a true summer classic!
What can I use instead of red currants?
Gooseberries work well too. Just make sure to use fruit with a bit of acidity to keep the balance between sweet and tart.
Can I freeze the cake?
To be honest: I wouldn’t. Without the meringue, you’re basically freezing an empty crust – and with the topping, the texture just doesn’t hold up well. It’s best enjoyed fresh!
Where does the 40g of starch go? It’s mentioned in the ingredients but not the instructions. Fold in with the almonds?
Yes!
Thank you for letting me know Warren! I just updated it in the recipe.
Simply add the starch with the ground almonds.
Hope you will enjoy this beautiful cake!
Happy baking sabrina 💛
How thick should you roll out the short crust?
Hi there- you should cover the bottom and a few cm from the side of your springform.
Roughly 5mm-1cm I would say it is! Happy baking!