This delicious cake is a beloved classic in many Czech homes—our grandmothers baked it for generations. It’s made with a soft yeasted dough, a sweet curd filling, topped with seasonal fruit and finished off with buttery crumble. You can use strawberries, blueberries, or rhubarb; it’s equally tasty with apricots, currants, raspberries, or even plums and poppy seeds in the fall.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 50 g butter (softened) | 3.5 tbsp / 1.8 oz
- 300 g all-purpose flour | 2 ½ cups / 10.6 oz
- 60 g powdered sugar | ½ cup / 2.1 oz
- 40 g fresh yeast or 1 packet dry yeast (7 g) | 1.4 oz fresh / 0.25 oz dry
- 100 ml milk (lukewarm) | ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp / 3.4 fl oz
- 1 whole egg
- Pinch of salt
For the Filling
- 250 g soft curd cheese or thick sour cream | 1 cup / 8.8 oz
- 40 g vanilla sugar (or regular sugar with vanilla extract) | 3 tbsp / 1.4 oz
- 2 tbsp rum (optional but adds great flavor)
- Approx. 500 g fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, etc.) | 3 ½ cups / 1.1 lbs
For the Crumble Topping
- 50 g butter (softened) | 3.5 tbsp / 1.8 oz
- 80 g coarse flour or fine breadcrumbs | ⅔ cup / 2.8 oz
- 60 g vanilla sugar | ½ cup / 2.1 oz
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Procedure
Dough:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of flour. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes until it becomes frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, softened butter, egg, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead everything into a smooth dough. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
Once risen, roll out the dough on parchment paper (a kitchen counter works best), then transfer it to a large baking sheet.
Filling:
In a bowl, mix the curd cheese (or sour cream) with the egg, vanilla sugar, and rum into a smooth mixture. Spread it evenly over the rolled-out dough.
Prepare your fruit: wash, slice (if needed), and distribute generously over the filling.
Crumble Topping:
Combine the softened butter, flour (or breadcrumbs), vanilla sugar, and cinnamon using your hands to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this evenly over the fruit.
Baking:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F / 320°F fan).
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges turn golden and the crumble is lightly browned.
Enjoy your slice warm or cooled – it’s heavenly either way. Dobrou chuť!
