Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (Ober-/Unterhitze).
- Drain the sour cherries well in a sieve. Make sure to catch about 300 ml of the juice for later.
- For the dough, beat the soft margarine (or butter) with the 160g sugar and the vanilla sugar in a large bowl until light and frothy, using a hand mixer.
- Beat in the eggs one by one, incorporating each egg well before adding the next.
- Mix and sift the flour and baking powder. Briefly stir into the batter until just combined into a homogeneous dough. Do not overmix.
- Place a baking frame (approx. 27x27 cm is good, but a regular sheet with a frame or high edge works) on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Spread half of the light batter evenly within the frame.
- Stir the cocoa powder and rum (if using) into the other half of the batter until it has a nice dark color.
- Carefully spread the dark batter over the light batter. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- Distribute the well-drained cherries evenly over the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes. Use a skewer test to check if it's done (no wet batter should stick). Remove from oven and let it cool COMPLETELY, preferably on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make the Quark cream: Mix the Quark, lemon juice, and 80g sugar well in a bowl.
- Whip the cream with the cream stabilizer until stiff. Gently fold the whipped cream into the Quark mixture using a spatula or spoon (do not use a mixer).
- Place the baking frame back around the cooled cake base. Spread the Quark cream over the base and smooth the surface. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours so the cream can set.
- For the glaze: In a small pot, mix the red cake glaze powder with the 2 tablespoons of sugar and about 6 tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice until smooth and lump-free.
- Bring the remaining cherry juice (approx. 294 ml) in the pot to a boil. Stir in the mixed glaze powder and bring back to a boil briefly while stirring. The glaze will thicken quickly.
- Let the red glaze cool down for just a moment – it should not be boiling hot (to avoid melting the cream) but also not setting yet. Quickly and evenly pour the glaze over the chilled Quark cream and spread it smooth.
- For best results, chill the cake overnight in the refrigerator. This allows it to set properly and makes it easier to slice. Patience pays off!
Notes
Ensure cherries are well drained to prevent a soggy base. Do not overmix the cake batter once flour is added. The cake base must be completely cool before adding the Quark cream to prevent melting. The Quark cream needs at least 2 hours in the fridge (preferably overnight) to set properly. Pay attention to the glaze temperature before pouring; it should be warm but not hot, and poured quickly before it sets. The cake base can be baked the day before and stored covered at room temperature; add the cream and glaze the next day. For variations, you can swap margarine for butter, rum for milk or Kirschwasser, use other red fruits, use 20% fat Quark for a creamier layer, add a pinch of cinnamon or cloves to the dough, or decorate with chocolate sprinkles or cream dollops.
Store the cake well covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days due to the Quark cream layer.