July has mysteriously vanished and as I head into August I am left to think that never have I had a month zoom past me at the warp speed I experienced this month.
Besides the vacation, the buzz at our household in July was most certainly Soeren starting 1st grade in August. In Germany the beginning of school (not pre-school) is rejoiced with a fete called “Zuckertütenfest”.
To mark this milestone in a child’s life, family and friends are invited to join the festivities. The child gets a “Zuckertüte”, a sugar bag, filled with sweet treats and little toys. To sweeten the hard work they will be doing for a major part of their lives?
Apparently the legend has it that the Zuckertüte grows into a sugar tree! How sweet! Although Soeren just completed pre-school at the International School here in Weimar, the school has taken over this German custom for all their 1st graders too. I love this custom and can hardly wait for my son to start 1st grade, just so that I can plan the party!
Tom and I have been secretly planning, organizing and shopping for school supplies and goodies to fill his Zuckertüte. What fun – almost like Christmas in the middle of summer.
One day, a few weeks ago, as we were picking raspberries at a self-picking farm I asked Soeren what tree does he want his Zuckertüte to grow into. At the spur of the moment he said, with his mouth full of plump red raspberries, “A tree with all my favorite berries on it!”
We spent a good deal of our time at the self-picking farm gathering several berries and discussing the exciting path he would be taking. He is rather proud that he will be going to 1st grade as a 5 year old. A week later he turns 6!
Filled with the anticipation, I wanted to treat him with something sweet and berrylicious. Not a berry tree, but a berry cake, packed with juicy, sweet raspberries and nutty hazelnuts. The raspberries tartly kiss the cake, keeping it moist and soft. The whole hazelnuts add a lovely crunchy texture to the cake and plays off beautifully against the tangy tartness of the raspberries.
August will bring much more! Of that I am sure. But we are welcoming August with open arms. Zuckertütenfest and a birthday party are just two things that will be sweetening the new month for us – and whoever turned down sweet treats?
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.200g fresh raspberries
160g all-purpose flour
170g sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
150g butter, melted
100g whole hazelnuts, dry roasted
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare a 26 cm long loaf tin by brushing it with a bit of the melted butter and flouring the insides. Tap out any excess flour.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until creamy and pale.
In a separate bowl sieve the flour and baking powder together, then gently stir it into the egg mixture. Whisk only until the flour has been incorporate. Finally whisk in the melted butter.
Using a rubber spatula fold in 150g raspberries and 50g hazelnuts into the batter.
Pour a layer of the batter into the loaf tin, then layer with the remaining raspberries and hazelnuts. Pour in the rest of the batter into the tin.
Back the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Take cake out of oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tin. Then tip onto a rack and cool.
Tip: If you are baking this cake only for adults drizzle some raspberry brandy onto the cake while it is still warm. ;-)
Verdict
Summertime berry-time! For us berries become a staple food in the summer. I am always trying to incorporate them in recipes be it salads, desserts cookies or cakes. One of our favorite ways to enjoy them is baking them in simple loaves and cakes. I have not re-invented the wheel here, but I do think this cake is a simple way to delight anyone and if you love berries this cake will provide you with pure satisfaction.
Berries are also on Susan's mind this month, who is hosting Sugar High Friday #45. She picked a theme that any berry lover could not resist: Berries. So Susan are you loving Soeren and my berrylicious cake or what?
You might like these berrylicious creations from WFLH:
Rhubarb Raspberry Trifle | |
Tropicana Cream with Summer Berries | |
Strawberry Almond Muffins |
From around the blogs:
Indian Food Rocks' very berry Blackberry Shrikhand
Confessions of a Cardamom Addict's scrumptious spiced blueberry-maple syrup
Ammalu's Kitchen's fruity strawberry salad
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
Ayurveda and Food for Skin by Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
Zuckertütenfest! man kids are lucky...your cake looks perfect and my good luck to your boy!
ReplyDeleteI agree - a tree with all kinds of berries would be my choice too! What a gorgeous cake!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet little tradition! The Cake looks too good!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am welcoming your Raspberry Hazelnut Tea Cake with open arms, Meeta. :) I think Soeren is on to something with a tree that grows all of one's favorite berries. Wouldn't that be utterly delightful?
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the celebration, and give your little guy a big hug from me on his first day!
Looks great and it is very Pacific Northwest!
ReplyDeleteMy little guy starts 1st grade in a couple of weeks too. What a fast summer this was!
ReplyDeleteLovely tea cake, Meeta.
My daughter will start "Kindergarten" in September. Here is the US it feels like what used to be 1st Grade for me in Germany - they are expected to be able to read at the end of it, writing letters started even earlier. The "Kindergbarten" level here is the first year of elementary school. All this said - I want my girls to know about "their" background too - they were called "Schultueten" where I grew up. I am planning a party with friends that all have 5 year old girls that will embark into the adventures of riding the schoobus, etc. Looking forward to learning more about your plan for this day (I need advice from "current" Moms in comparison to my memories of when I was six...)
ReplyDeleteAlexandra
This is just the kind of lovely recipe I was looking for to use up all my raspberries. Looks gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI'm a berry lover!!
ReplyDeleteI wish... no raspberries here!! I love the way the berries mel into the cake :-)
ReplyDeleteThe berry cake looks delicious.. and Zuckertütenfest sounds exciting... I guess you and Soeren will have wonderful time :-)
ReplyDeleteMy best wishes to him!
I am sure you and Tom must be so proud! I remember my kids starting off to school at that age, and I had taken off a week just so we could be there for them when they returned home. The first day is so special for the kid and the parents:) Just this once I think its the nostalgia that is better than the mouth watering cake!! Hey, I made the semifredo with many variations according to available ingredients and am glad to proclaim that it is indeed Mr.Perfect!!
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicous. All nutty and fruity, and very moist.
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing, I love hazelnuts, one of my all time favourite foods. There's a little surprise for you at my blog. Come and see.
ReplyDeletefantastic cake there meeta!
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that you organize the best parties ever! So I bet Soreen is going to have a ball. Zuckertüte that sounds like so much fun. The cake I wish I could my hands on them :)
ReplyDeleteAww, best of luck to Soeren with first grade!! So exciting!!
ReplyDeleteFresh-picked berries?? Hazelnuts?? That cake is a true winner with me!! :0)
wow, that's a great flavor pairing Meeta! I made a sweet bread with cranberries, orange and pecans 2 days back!:) soeren's surely turning into a "chef":) hehehee
ReplyDeletelooks delicious! I can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely radition and a lovely cake.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures have a fantasy like quality about them, Meeta..you are fundu!
I'd never heard of a Zuckertütenfest before, but that sounds like it should be fun. Also, this cake looks like a great way to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteYum! Berrylicious, indeed! How nice to celebrate the beginning of school. Very nice!
ReplyDeletePaz
Meeta, this recipe looks so good!
ReplyDeleteAnd the `pictures look lovely!!Kisses to your boy!! xxGloria
Meeta, raspberries are a true passion of mine and I love hazelnuts, too - I have got to try this cake!
ReplyDeleteMy kinda cake meeta , I like anything with berries in it !!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a potential coffee shop favourite to me, Meeta.
ReplyDeleteI love Hazelnuts!
That cake looks good. I like the raspberry and hazelnut combination.
ReplyDeleteBoth our little boys start grade one this year, what a milestone!
ReplyDeleteThat cake looks lovely, a nice bright treat.
What a great tree a berries tree would be...and in the meantime there is this lucious cake with hazelnuts, too.
ReplyDeletethe cake looks so tender. nice! and the raspberries have bled well into it. man i'm hungry! meetak you tease. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your comments. I have to tell you (and I am sure mums/dads in the house will feel this way too) having a kid a is so much fun because you get to take part in all kinds of fun events.
ReplyDeletemaybe if we put all our energy together we can call up that Berry Tree - if not you all enjoy this cake.
Hugs!
Wat a lovely cake meeta....i liked the new look of ur blog very nice. how do you put different colors in the posting side?
ReplyDeleteMeeta,
ReplyDeleteI love this cake... long time I wanted to try hazelnuts in a cake... that is wonderful idea!
Margot
Meeta I made a recipe of yours to
ReplyDeleteT&T the event that hossted Zlamushka and I like sooo your recipes, I enjoy them.
Thanks by share. Gloria
that last slice photo just did it for me ... it looks wonderful, specially since you used the fresh and not frozen berries.
ReplyDeleteWell, I loved the idea of the trea with the favourite berries. And this recipe..oh , wow, Meta..absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSMN - thank you. For the sidebars simply go into customize your layout and select fonts and colors. there you can fiddle around with different colors and fonts for all the sections in your blog.
ReplyDeleteMargot - hope you like it. I know I do not use hazelnuts half as much as I would like to! I do not know why!!!
Gloria - thanks for letting me know. I look forward to Zu's roundup!
Kate, if the season is right I always use fresh instead of frozen. But I spent a great part of summer freezing fresh berries so I can use them in Fall and Winter.
Valentina - yes a tree lik that would be too cool. Thanks for your comment!
Yum - your cake looks great!
ReplyDeleteHI Meeta, your Berry cake looks delicious. Will have a look at more of your recipes. :-)
ReplyDelete