Marillenkuchen mit Streusel (apricot crumble cake)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional) and line a tin of about 30 × 22 cm or a small baking tray with baking paper. Wash the apricots, stone and halve them.
2. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt with a hand mixer until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. Mix the flour and baking powder and stir in alternately with the milk, adding the lemon zest if you like. Smooth the batter in the tin.
4. Set the apricots cut-side up closely on the batter and press in lightly.
5. For the crumble, quickly rub the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt with the cold butter between your fingers into coarse crumbs and scatter over the fruit.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden. Best served still warm with a strong coffee.

Drink with it

• Fruit brandy · excellent match

  Wachau apricot brandy (Marillenbrand), small, neat and at room temperature

  The brandy brings back the concentrated aroma of the baked apricot and, as a dry digestif, cuts through the butter and crumble.

  What is Calvados? Apple brandy with origin ↗

• Sweet wine · good match

  Riesling Auslese or Traminer Spätlese, well chilled

  The fruit acidity of the wine cushions the sweetness of the crumble, and apricot and honey notes combine with the apricots.

  Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberately ↗

• Fruit liqueur · good match

  Apricot liqueur, well chilled, small

  The fruit liqueur picks up the baked apricot but brings plenty of sweetness itself, so it suits a small slice best.