Radio Days Cherry Custard Kuchen

This is an old-fashioned fruit kuchen, a rich, buttery based dough, a layer of tart cherries mixed with an egg custard, and a streusel topping. This is a cherished family recipe originating from a friend of the family before WWII. Enjoy!

Original recipe makes 1 9×13-inch cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk, or as needed
2 (16 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries, drained

3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

PREP

30 mins
COOK

25 mins
READY IN

55 mins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish. Whisk together 1 1/2 cup of sifted flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
With a pastry cutter, chop the unsalted butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs; mix in 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk, creating a dough; if dough seems dry and crumbly, mix in additional milk, a teaspoon at a time. Pat the dough into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the cherries evenly over the dough.
In a bowl, sift 3/4 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour; whisk in the 3 eggs and 3/4 cup of milk until smooth. Mix in cinnamon and nutmeg if desired; pour the mixture over the cherries. In a small bowl, using a pastry cutter, chop 2 tablespoons of butter with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup flour until crumbly; sprinkle the streusel over the custard mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until the custard is set and the streusel is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold; refrigerate leftovers.