This raspberry custard kuchen is a delightful German-inspired dessert. Many recipes from the southern regions have a clear German influence, making this recipe essentially a German kujen or kuchen.
Can I change the raspberries in this recipe to make a mixed berry kuchen?
Absolutely! Although this recipe uses raspberries, you can make it with blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries by simply substituting them in the same quantity as the raspberries.
You can even use frozen raspberries, but it’s important to thaw them thoroughly and then let them drain in a colander (without squeezing) to remove any excess liquid.
The cornstarch Filling:
The custard for this kuchen is made with cornstarch (maizena) , unlike the traditional recipe that uses eggs. Using maizena makes the preparation much easier and faster, and the final result will be a smoother and more delicately flavored filling that won’t compete for attention with the delicious raspberries.
To ensure that the filling is extra smooth and free of lumps, you can strain it as you pour it onto the crust. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can replace it with flour, but the result will be less smooth.
If you want to make the filling with condensed milk, you can check out this recipe for southern blackberry kuchen that uses that method, and simply replace the blackberries with raspberries.
Tips for making the kuchen crust:
It’s essential to have the butter at room temperature so that it mixes better with the flour. If it’s too cold, you can cut it into 1×1 cm cubes and leave it at room temperature for it to soften a bit. Then, beat it a little on its own before adding the sugar.
I love this quick and easy crust recipe, as we spread it with our fingers, there’s no need to refrigerate it. It gives the kuchen that typical homemade touch of German pastry (I always remember when a German friend told me that food should have a slightly rustic appearance to be appetizing). However, if you want a neater result and roll it out with a rolling pin, you’ll need to wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
It’s important that the crust is slightly toasted when you take it out of the oven, to ensure it doesn’t get mixed with the filling.
Variations:
As a personal preference, I love the combination of raspberry and almond flavors. If you do too, you can replace half of the base flour with almond flour or substitute the vanilla in the pastry cream with almond essence. Another flavor that pairs well with raspberries is white chocolate. If you want to add some white chocolate chips to the filling, you’ll have an absolutely original raspberry kuchen.
Shelf life and storage:
Once your kuchen is ready and cooled, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator, ideally covered, to keep it in perfect condition for up to 1 week.
Raspberry custard kuchen
Make this classic German dessert with fresh raspebrries and vainilla custard. It´s so good, you will love it.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour without baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the custard:
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 cups raspberries
Instructions
We made the crust:
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Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
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In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until foamy, add the egg and continue beating until smooth, finally add the flour and baking powder.
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In a buttered pie dish we put the dough stretching / flattening it with the fingertips, we make a slight edge and we reserve a little dough to make some lines of dough with which we will decorate the kuchen.
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Bake for 20 minutes until the dough is lightly golden.
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Remove from the oven and let cool.
We made the custard:
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In a small saucepan we mix the milk, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla, we dissolve the cornstarch well, beating with a wire whisk, we heat over medium heat stirring occasionally until it starts to boil, at that moment start stirring constantly and cook for 1 minute , to thicken.
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We remove from the fire.
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Pour half of the milk mixture over the pre-baked dough, layer the raspberries on top of it, and then add the rest of the milk mixture.
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With the remains of the dough we make some threads with which we will decorate the upper part of the kuchen.
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Bake for 25 minutes or until the surface is golden (could puff up a bit).
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Let cool completely before unmolding and enjoy!