Gooseberry kuchen with elderflower cream recipe

Kuchen - Haarala Hamilton and Valerie Berry

‘Kuchen’ is German for cake, but it’s more of a pudding, I think. You could also use plums, pears, apples, pears or cranberries.

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 50 minutes

SERVES

Six

INGREDIENTS

• 150g butter, plus extra for greasing

• 275g gooseberries

• 150g caster sugar

• 1 large egg

• 200ml sour cream

• 225g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

For the cream

• 300ml double cream

• 3 tbsp elderflower cordial

• 1 tbsp icing sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/170C fan/gas mark 4. Butter a 23cm cake tin or a shallow pie dish.

2. Top and tail the gooseberries.

3. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the egg and beat for a few minutes. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.

4. Add a pinch of salt and fold in the plain flour, baking powder, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Spread the batter in the tin or dish.

5. Toss the gooseberries with the granulated sugar then tumble them on to the cake batter. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

6. Whip the cream until it’s holding its shape then drizzle in the cordial. Mix together well, then sweeten with the icing sugar.

7. Serve the kuchen warm or at room temperature with the cream.