Spelt Streuselkuchen (Oma’s German Crumb Cake)

Two slices of spelt strueselkuchen on a white plate with a blue and white tea towel in the background

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!

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

Spelt Streuselkuchen (Oma’s German Crumb Cake)

Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword Cakes, Streuselkuchen
Servings 1 cake
Author Sophie

Ingredients

Yeast Dough (Hefeteig)

  • 2 tsp traditional active dry yeast
  • 600 grams organic all purpose, unbleached spelt flour also called white spelt flour
  • 80 grams organic sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp anise seeds optional
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100 grams unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 250 ml 2% milk warmed to hand temperature
  • 1/3 cup tart jam or jelly

Streusel

  • 300 grams organic all purpose, unbleached spelt flour also called white spelt flour
  • 50 grams organic sugar
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds optional
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 150 grams unsalted butter at room temperature

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl activate the yeast by mixing it with 1/4 cup of warm water and 1 tsp of sugar. Stir to combine and set aside for 10 minutes or until yeast has become foamy and increased in size.

  2. In a large bowl, stir together the spelt flour, sugar, salt and anise seeds. Once the yeast has activated, make a large well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the yeast mixture into it. Slowly drizzle the vanilla extract and the melted and cooled butter on the dry ingredients around the edge of the bowl. Using your hand, slowly move around the bowl and mix a little of the ingredients around the yeast into it until the yeast is just incorporated. Add the egg to the bowl and about half the warmed milk. Continue to mix with your hands adding the rest of the warmed milk until you have a shaggy looking dough.

    Shaggy looking dough for spelt streuselkuchen on a white marble countertop
  3. 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 large baking sheet and set aside.

    Smooth dough for spelt streuselkuchen after kneading
  4. In a medium bowl, mix and rub all the streusel ingredients together with your fingers until it resembles course crumbs. Place in the fridge to chill.

  5. 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 sheet. Dust the top with flour again, fold the dough into quarters, place it on your baking sheet and unfold it, pressing the dough to the edges and corners if need be (or folding the edges over because you rolled it too big like I did!).

    Spelt streuselkuchen prepared in a sheet pan and ready to be proofed before baking
  6. 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. Put the assembled streuselkuchen back in a place without drafts and allow 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.

  7. Once the dough has risen, bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are a dark 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

  1. This streuselkuchen freezes really well. Simply cut the cake into sections, wrap tightly in tin foil and freeze until ready to eat.
  2. 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).

2 thoughts on “Spelt Streuselkuchen (Oma’s German Crumb Cake)

  1. 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!!

    1. 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!

Leave a Reply