Fresh Fruit Kuchen

If you're like me, you can't resist buying way too much fruit at this time of year.  Despite my best intentions to eat yogurt and berries three times each day, at some point the amount of fruit I purchase exceeds the amount I am able to consume and some of it woefully ends up in the compost bin.

Enter the solution: Fresh Fruit Kuchen.  This is a simple cake, adapted from Joy of Cooking, which welcomes fruit at its prime or even slightly past.  It's a great way to use up those slightly soggy blueberries you overzealously purchased two quarts of despite being the only one in your household that will eat them.

Joy of Cooking suggests putting the fruit on the bottom, but I put mine on the top.  Here is the recipe:

Fresh Fruit Kuchen
Position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350.  Grease a 9 x 2 inch round cake pan.  Prepare streusel topping below and set aside.


Streusel Topping: 
1/3 cup sugar or brown sugar
2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour (if using brown sugar, increase flour to a total of 4 Tablespoons)


Whisk together in a bowl:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt


Beat in a large bowl until fluffy:
1/2 cup (1/2 stick) softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar


Add to the butter/sugar mixture 2 large eggs, beating in one at a time until blended.
Stir in the flour mixture until incorporated.


Scrape cake batter into the pan and top with fresh fruit, distributing it evenly over the batter. This could be peach slices, cherries, apricots, berries, or any combination.  Use a fork to break up the streusel topping and distribute it over the fruit.  Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool to room temperature on a rack before serving.

This week I actually made three of these cakes, one with blueberries, one with peaches and blackberries, and one with just blackberries.  It goes well with vanilla ice cream for dessert or even with coffee for a light breakfast or as part of brunch.  The best thing about this cake is that it really highlights the flavor of the fruit without being overly sweet or sugary and it is really easy to make.  Enjoy!