Making the most of the very short currant season, I went PYO at Russell Orchards in Ipswich again. I am planning on making cassis (a flavored currant liqueur) again, so needed black currants for that, but the red currant bushes were overflowing with berries as well. This Currant Quark Crumble Cake is a combination of a coffee cake style (with lots of streusel / crumble), a cheese-cake layer with sweetened quark layer (you could also use cream cheese) and the fruit, which is a little like a muffin (like a blueberry muffin). Currants are very tart so you might have to adjust the sugar and honey to your liking. It is very yummy though; like summer sunshine.
Ingredients
For the crust
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
For the filling
1-pound fresh red currants
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
4 tablespoons honey
1 cup quark or cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoon corn starch
You will also need a 10-inch round or rectangular springform pan.
Directions
Heat oven to 350F. Spray your springform pan liberally with baking spray.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl. Dice the butter and incorporate it in the flour mixture; I do this with my hands but you can also do this with a biscuit cutter. For the base you roughly need half of the dough. Cover the base of the pan with crumbles, press firmly, and prepare the side with an edge of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, the same way. Then, bake the base for 15 minutes. Chill the remainder of the dough.
Meanwhile, mix the currants with sugar and set aside. In a work bowl, combine cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and one tablespoon of the corn starch. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon cornstarch over the currants. Spread the cream cheese evenly on the cake base and carefully scatter the currants on it. Press the rest of the dough to get crumbles and sprinkle them over the currants. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes until it turns golden brown. Let it cool for about an hour, then remove from the springform and let it set for two hours in the fridge. When serving, it’s pretty to sprinkle a few fresh currants on the top.
