Easter feels very different this year. Quiet. Isolated. Just me and the hubby (and baby bump) taking our time this morning with a cup of coffee and a slice of spelt streuselkuchen.
I dunk my piece deep into my coffee cup and take a bite. The flavours mingle in my mouth and the memories come crashing in like a wave.
Easter breakfast at Oma and Opa’s house, surrounded by my family, the table laden with coloured eggs, crusty buns, Opa’s famous rye bread, muffins, jams and jellies, cheese, deli meats, coffee, tea, and of course streuselkuchen.
We all dive in and for a little while there is almost complete silence as everyone delights in the tastes and textures laid out before us. As our rumbling tummies and excited tastebuds become satiated my cousin and I turn our attention to all the goodies we know the Easter bunny (aka Oma) has hidden outside. We grow excited again and try to hurry the adults along on their slow, Sunday morning breakfast, but there is one more thing I have to do before going on the hunt.
A small cup is placed on my plate and I make the smallest, milkiest and sweetest coffee concoction I can make, dunk my slice (or two) into it, take a bite, grin with glee and let the flavours mingle while I look around the table and take in this memory that I know will last forever.
Happy Easter to you and yours… and of course, happy baking!
Update September 25, 2025: I have made major updates to this recipe since I made it this past Easter. Not only did I scale down the recipe so it doesn’t make an enormous amount of streuselkuchen (my Oma used to make double batches and freeze it for our visits to her house) but I have also removed the spelt flour option for two reasons. One, the wheat flour version I made this year was phenomenally better than the spelt version and dare I say it, better than anything I remember my Oma making. Two, I just don’t use or bake with white spelt flour very much any more so I know I won’t be able to test it for anyone else.
If you liked this recipe you are going to love these ones!
German Plum Spelt Cake (Plaumenkuchen mit Murbeteig)
Spelt Marble Cake
Apple Sponge Cake with Spelt Flour
Streuselkuchen (Oma’s German Crumb Cake)
Ingredients
Yeast Dough (Hefeteig)
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 300 grams organic, all purpose flour
- 45 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch of anise seeds optional
- 150 ml 2% milk warmed to hand temperature
- 50 grams unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp tart jam or jelly
Streusel
- 150 grams organic, all purpose flour
- 25 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 125 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
Instructions
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In a large bowl, stir together the instant yeast, flour, sugar, salt and anise seeds (if using). Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then add the milk. Turn off the heat and allow the miIk/butter mixture to cool to hand temperature if it is too warm. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Drizzle the wet mixture on to the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until you have a shaggy looking dough.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Form into a ball, place back in the mixing bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and place somewhere away from drafts to proof until doubled. This will take approximately 1.5 hours at room temperature (21C, 70F). Line or grease a 9×9" baking pan and set aside.
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In a medium bowl, mix all the streusel ingredients together with your fingers until it resembles course crumbs. Place it in the fridge to chill.
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Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured surface and press it down with your hands into a rectangular shape. Dust the top of the dough with flour, then roll it out to the size of your baking pan. Fold the dough into quarters, place it on your baking pan and unfold it, pressing the dough to the edges and corners if need be.
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Poke the dough all over with a fork, then spoon the tart jam or jelly onto the dough and spread evenly right to the edges with a spatula. Remove the streusel from the fridge and distribute it evenly over the jam. Gently press down on the streusel to help it adhere to the jam. Cover with a tea towel and put it back in a place without drafts and allow it to proof again until it has risen in volume by 50%. This will take approximately 40 minutes at room temperature (21C, 70F). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
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Once the dough has risen, bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cut the cake into wide strips (easier for dunking in coffee) or any shape you like before serving.
Recipe Notes
- This streuselkuchen freezes really well. Simply cut the cake into sections, wrap tightly in tin foil and freeze until ready to eat.
- If you want to do the first proof of this dough overnight I have had success with that by reducing the instant yeast to 1/4 tsp and finishing the rest of the steps first thing in the morning for warm streuselkuchen at breakfasttime.
- The hefeteig (yeast dough) used for this streuselkuchen is very versatile and can be made into cinnamon buns or other fun shapes like sweet pretzels rolled in pearl sugar, little twists called Hanfwickel or even filled and twisted together to make poppyseed stollen (I used the same method as my Bavarian Walnut Spelt Stollen recipe).
Ah….you could have been describing a breakfast at my Opa and Oma’s! What wonderful memories! And the Streuselkuchen has always been my favorite! My Oma would make it a little differently…..cardamom instead of anise; and a sprinkle of zested lemon and orange peel on the dough before the crumble. I learned to make it as well as she did. And then had a daughter who can’t eat gluten. So excited to find this recipe! I already have the spelt flour!!
Hi Rachel, your Oma’s version sounds amazing. I will have to give those tweaks a try the next time I make it. Hope you enjoy the spelt flour version, happy baking!