I have always loved this ricotta kuchen. We used to buy it at the Frutillar bakery store in Santiago, Chile. I think they still sell it. It is a classic kuchen and best enjoyed with a cup of tea.
The most traditional fruit combination is ricotta blueberries, but you can use raspberries, blackberries, or peaches that are not too soft in a pinch.
Most of the Chilean kuchen recipes were adopted after the considerable immigration of Germans to the Lake region in the South of the country before and after 1900. The popularity of German treats like kuchen, strudel, and cookies grew steadily, and they remain an everyday treat to enjoy with coffee in bakeries or to make at home to share with family. Kuchen is so popular that some people swap their birthday cake with a special kuchen.
Kuchen is expected on the special “Chilean tea time” or “once” on Sundays, when families and friends eat around a table with bread, cheeses, ham, jams, and kuchen. Each person gets to decide what to eat, and long conversations ensue. Once is never a buffet, so people don’t leave the table for hours.
This ricotta kuchen recipe was passed on to me by a dear internet friend.
You may also like the recipe: German-style Cheese Kuchen.
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Chilean Ricotta Kuchen
A classic kuchen for tea time.
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
for the dough,
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- generous pinch of salt
- 125 grams of unsalted butter (if using with salt, remove the pinch of salt) at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
for the filling,
- 1 (397 grams) can of condensed milk
- 4 eggs
- 425 grams of ricotta
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 250 grams of blueberries
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Butter a 9″ springform cake pan. In a bowl, mix the flour, the baking powder, and the salt if using it.
- In another bowl with the mixer or a fork, work the butter and sugar until they are creamy and pale, about 3 minutes with the mixer on medium-high speed. Add the lemon or orange zest or vanilla and incorporate.
- Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. At low speed, add the flour mixture and work to form a smooth dough.
- Spread the dough over the entire bottom and 1/3 of the sides, using your knuckles. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more while preparing the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.
- Combine the condensed milk, ricotta, eggs, vanilla, and flour in the blender or a bowl. Blend for 2 minutes so that everything is mixed very well or beat by hand.
- Wash and dry the blueberries and place them in a bowl with one teaspoon of flour; roll to cover them.
- Place the blueberries on the dough in a single layer, pour the previous mixture and take to the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown, and when moving, the batter does not “jiggle” and is set. If it browns very quickly, cover the pan with aluminum foil. Check for doneness at 1 hour.
- Let cool completely before unmolding. Run a knife around the edge before opening the ring.
- Keep refrigerated. Serve cold or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Category: Kuchen
- Method: Oven-baked
- Cuisine: Chilean
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