Bing Cherry Kuchen

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/2 cup unsifted unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 lb bing cherry
• 1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 generously butter a 9-inch springform pan; line with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
• 2 crumb mixture—add flour, baking powder, sugar, and nuts to a food processor fitted with steel blade; pulse 6-8 times, or until the nuts are finely chopped.
• 3 add in the butter, pulse 2-3 times or until mixture forms pea-size crumbs; do not overprocess.
• 4 sprinkle 1/3 of crumbs evenly on the bottom of the pan; reserve remaining crumb mixture for topping.
• 5 press crumbs down lightly in the pan to form a bottom crust; set aside.
• 6 position oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°.
• 7 cake—wash the cherries and dry well on paper towels; remove the pits with a cherry pitter; set aside.
• 8 sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a triple sifter; set aside.
• 9 cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and put in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; soften on low speed.
• 10 increase speed to medium-high and cream until smooth and light in color, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
• 11 add in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, taking 3-4 minutes to blend it in well; scrape down sides of bowl occasionally.
• 12 add eggs, 1 at a time at 1-minute intervals, scraping the sides of bowl as necessary; blend in vanilla.
• 13 decrease mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until incorporated after each addition.
• 14 mix for about 15 seconds longer.
• 15 carefully spread batter over the crumb layer in the pan and arrange the cherries in rings on top; use about 20 cherries on the outer circle, working inward to 15, 10, and then 3 in the center.
• 16 sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top of the cherries.
• 17 center the pan on oven rack and bake for 60-65 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan and the top is golden brown.
• 18 remove from the oven and set on rack to cool.
• 19 cover the pan with a piece of foil, pressing it snugly against the sides to hold in the topping.
• 20 invert the cake onto the rack; lift off the pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
• 21 turn cake right side up onto a serving platter.
• 22 to serve—slice into wedges and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.