Wiener Steussel Trauben Kuchen
Viennese Streussel Grape Cake
I have several old, really old, Austrian and German Cookbooks that I truly treasure. These books came to me as gifts from relatives in Austria and friends who know my passion for Austrian Cooking.
My oldest book is – “Davidis Kochbuch” author: Marie Walter, Globus Verlag Gm.b.h. Berlin , there is no date when it was printed or published.
Another is: ” So Kocht man in Wien” Author: Rudolf Roesch, Verlag – Ernst Reinhardt in Muenchen. Herbst 1938.
Yet, another is – “Wiener Kochbuch” Author: Kuechen Chef, Karl Duch – Fachverlag fur Kochkunst, Mayer & Comp. INH.L.u.E Peters, Wien 1, Singerstrasse 7 – January 1946
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In the Davidis Cookbook, one reads on the first few pages instructions about cooking in general, among it says:
“Die Bestandteile der vorkommenden Rezpte sind zwar so viel als moeglich genau angegeben, doch kann das passende Verhaltnis von Salz zu den Speisen unmoeglich uberall bestimmt werden; ebenso unmoeglish wuerde es der Hausfrau sein, bei jedem Gericht die Wage oder das Mass in die Hand zu nehmen und bei den verschiedenen Portionen Berechnungen anzustellen. Gewoehnt man sich, das Augenmass aufmerksam zu gegrauchen und lieber etwas Salz nachzugeben, als die Speise zu versalzen, so wird man bald mit dem richtigen Verhaeltnis bekannt warden.”
Here is the translation!
“The ingredients of the recipes are as much as possible correct, because one cannot determine the exact relationship of salt and the food, at the same time it would be impossible for the housewife to take a scale or a measure (cup) each time she cooks and starts making calculations about portions in the recipe. Therefore, it is best when one gets used to using an eye measuring system, and with time one gets used to determine the right relationship of salt in proportion to the food …it is better to add salt later than over-salting it early on in the process.”
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This was an example for all the recipes in the book, even though there are grams, Miligrams. Mililiter, etc. of the different ingredients listed. However, these are in essence only guidelines to your own creativity….
And this is totally my philosophy of cooking. No matter how exact I write my recipe that I publish, and no matter how many “interns” I have to reproduce my recipes before I publish it, it will never be 100% reproducible in someone else’s hands and kitchen.
I have many, many cookbooks and have cooked out of most of them, and more often than not, the recipes do not come out as they are described. The only way one can be successful in following recipes in cookbooks is to add a little of one’s own creativity to the final successful outcome of the dish.
Therefore, keep on cooking, the more you cook the better you will become.
“Practice makes the Master!”
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Viennese Grape Streussel Cake
Use an 11 inch round spring form pan, or a medium size rectangular baking pan.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F
Ingredients
¾ cup butter at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk
2 to 3 cups red seedless grapes, washed and dried
Steussel
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
zest of one lemon or orange
Making the Streussel
Use a food processor: add the flour and the cool butter – pulse a few times to create pea-size little balls, lastly add the sugar and pulse only a couple of times to mix the sugar into the mixture….
Making the cake dough
In an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs – one at a time.
Add zest of lemon and Vanilla
Mix flour and baking powder – then add to the above mixture and adding milk at the same time
Grease and dust with flour – a medium size glass baking pan or an 11 inch spring form.
Pour the dough into the pan – then place the dried, dusted with flour -grapes on top.
Add “Streusel” all over the top of the cake
Bake cake at 350 F for about 1 hour – or until cake thermometer registers 180 F in the center of the cake. You need to see cooking bubbles in the center of the cake….
Cool to room temp – before serving.
This cake is a perfect treat for Breakfast, or Afternoon Coffee or…
“Ich lade ein zum Nachmittags Kaffee!”
I invite you to an Afternoon Coffee!
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Copyright: Maria Reisz Springer……..
Maja’s Kitchen LLC….
maria@majaskitchen.com
http://www.culinaryhalloffame.com/
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Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, I can be contacted via email at: maria@majaskitchen.com Feel free to quote me, just give credit where credit is due, link to the recipe, and please send people to my website, http://www.majaskitchen.com
Thank you!
Exactly the sort of sweet that I remember being served when invited to afternoon coffee. Really nice story and pics, Maria.
Thank you….Nancy…for your nice comment…yes, these Nachmittag’s Kaffees are very special in Austria……either in private homes or stopping at a Konditorei to just sit for a little time and enjoy the moment with a wonderful piece of cake….and a steaming cup of Kaffee…………
This is amazing, Maria. I am so thankful that you share your recipe. I love all the simplicity of the recipe and definitely will try to cook for my family and friends.
Pranee…so nice of you to stop by and leave such a nice comment….and I am happy that you will make this cake for your family….it is really simple to make…my best to you….with a hug!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. Looking forward to make this cake. Could you replace the grapes with another fruit?
Hi Carolyn….so nice of you to leave a comment….and – yes, you can replace the fruit in this recipe…..try cherries, apricots, and any kind or berries….plums are very nice as well…………have fun trying different fruit and let me know how your cakes come out….
Totally agree with you Maria, the only way one can be successful in following recipes in cookbooks is to add a little of one’s own creativity to the final successful outcome of the dish! LOVE Streuselkuchen, and I love old cookbooks, thank you so much for introducing us some of them!
This Grape Streusel cake looks and sounds like the perfect afternoon coffee cake! Fantastic!
Dear, dear Tanja…so good of you to stop by…and commenting in such a lovely way about my story….
I love your blog as well and all your beautiful photographs…you are a true artist…in baking, cooking and photography…a big hug to you……….
I absolutely ADORE this cake Maria 🙂 And I love that wonderful qoute in the beginning – I too am a big believer in ‘a dash of this & a splash of that’. This one I am going to make soon for sure..such a kitchen staple!
chow 🙂 Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Hi Devaki….so nice to hear from you so quickly….I too love that Viennese Grape Streussel Cake….it is so versatile….it is very delicious with coffee, tea or ice cream….or simply on it’s own….
Where do you teach cooking classes?
I love that we stay in touch….My best to you………
This cake i can eat with my eyes, because it’s so lovely!
I’m so happy to have found you blogue maja.
Big hug
Hi Helena….what a nice comment….thank you so much….and thank you for finding me…
I am so happy you are here…and I hope we can stay in touch often….
A big hug back to you….