Tender buttery pastry, rich quark filling, and fresh, slightly tangy fruit create juicy slices with a crispy grated topping. Thanks to the vanilla pudding, the filling holds its shape well and the dessert is easy to cut once cooled.
This cake is made in a standard medium-sized baking tray, ideally with higher edges. Depending on the season, you can use blueberries, currants, raspberries, apricots, or grated apples with cinnamon. Simply divide the dough, chill one part briefly in the freezer, and then grate it over the top.
What you’ll need
For the tender Linzer pastry:
- 300 g semi-coarse flour, sifted in advance,
- 200 g cold butter, cut into cubes,
- 100 g powdered sugar,
- 1 whole egg,
- 1/2 packet of baking powder,
- grated zest from 1 organic lemon.
For the quark filling with fruit:
- 500 g soft quark, either block-style for a denser filling or tub-style for a creamier result,
- 2 whole eggs,
- 2 packets of vanilla pudding powder, dry mix only,
- 50 ml milk,
- 100 g granulated sugar, optionally partially replaced with vanilla sugar,
- 300–400 g fresh seasonal fruit, such as blueberries, currants, raspberries, apricots, or grated apples with cinnamon.
Step-by-step preparation:
1. Mixing the dry ingredients: In a large bowl or directly on a clean work surface, mix the sifted flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and freshly grated lemon zest.
2. Making the dough: Add the cold butter cubes and one egg. Quickly knead into a smooth, firm dough by hand. Work swiftly so the butter doesn’t soften too much from the warmth of your hands, ensuring the baked pastry stays tender.
3. Dividing and chilling: Divide the dough roughly in a 2:1 ratio. Wrap the larger portion for the base in plastic wrap and refrigerate, and place the smaller third in the freezer for 20 minutes.
4. Preparing the base: Take the larger portion from the fridge and roll it out to fit a standard medium baking tray lined with baking paper. If the delicate dough tears, simply press it evenly into the bottom of the tray with your fingers.
5. Preparing the quark filling: In a clean bowl, whisk or beat the soft quark with the eggs, granulated sugar, and milk. Finally, mix in both packets of vanilla pudding powder until you have a smooth, vanilla-scented mixture.
6. First layer of filling: Spread about half of the quark filling over the prepared pastry base. Smooth the surface so the layer is even across the whole tray.
7. Adding the fruit: Evenly distribute your chosen fruit over the quark layer. If using very juicy fruit or grated apples, gently squeeze out excess juice with your hands. Carefully cover the fruit with the remaining quark mixture and smooth with a spatula.
8. Grating the top layer: Remove the smaller portion of dough from the freezer and grate it evenly over the entire surface using a coarse grater. Create a continuous grated layer that will turn golden and pleasantly crispy when baked.
9. Baking: Place the tray in an oven preheated to 180°C. Bake for about 35–45 minutes, until the grated dough on top is golden to light brown.
10. Cooling and serving: Let the baked slices cool completely in the tray. The quark filling with pudding needs time to set properly so it doesn’t ooze when cut. Once cooled, cut the dessert into squares and, if desired, lightly dust with powdered sugar.
Why add pudding powder to the quark filling
Dry vanilla pudding powder helps absorb excess moisture from the quark and the juice released by the fruit during baking. This ensures the filling holds its shape better after thorough cooling, so the slices don’t fall apart.
The pudding also adds a gentle vanilla flavor. Only use the powder from two packets—do not cook it beforehand.
How to prepare the dough for easy grating
Leave the smaller third of the dough in the freezer for about 15–20 minutes. The firm butter prevents the dough from sticking to the grater and helps create clean, longer shreds instead of soft clumps.
Work with the dough quickly and don’t let it warm up at room temperature before grating. An even layer ensures the dessert is crispy on top all over.
How to work with seasonal fruit
Blueberries, currants, raspberries, and apricots all work well in these slices. You can also use grated apples with cinnamon. For very juicy fruit, remove some of the excess juice so the quark layer doesn’t stay too runny after baking.
Don’t cut the dessert while warm. Only once it’s fully cooled will the pudding set the filling, giving you clean and neat portions.
