Is German fruit flan a fruit tart or fruit cake?

u003cemu003eObsttorteu003c/emu003e refers to a German fruit cake made with a pre-baked fruit base and topped with fresh or canned fruits. Since the base can be made with a shortcrust pastry and is always decorated with fruit, it is similar to a fruit tart. But it is made in a special flan pan (not a fruit tart pan), so the German flan is a fruit flan cake.

Is German flan the same as Spanish flan?

No, these are different types of flan. The traditional German flan is a fruit cake baked in a special rimmed flan pan and topped with fruit. Spanish (or Mexican) flan is a creamy custard made with eggs, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract.

What is a fruit flan pan?

A flan tin is a baking pan with fluted sides that resembles a tart pan but with a raised center (or base), so the baked cake, being inverted, has a lip to hold fruits. It is a must-have for fruit flans and strawberry shortcakes.

Can you make a fruit flan in a regular fluted tart pan?

Yes, you can bake a fruit base in a 9-inch/23-cm tart tin with a removable bottom. Just recalculate ingredients using our simple baking tool - cake pan converter . After baking, flip it over onto a serving plate and assemble it.

Can you use pastry cream for German fruit flan?

You can make classic pastry cream and use it instead of vanilla pudding in the recipe.

Fruit Flan (Obsttorte)

Name: German Fruit Flan (Obsttorte)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 4.4 oz. (125 g) unsalted butter, softened + little for greasing; 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (180 g) granulated sugar; 1 sachet (9 g) vanilla sugar; 1 pinch of salt; 3 large eggs; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 1/3 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons (180 g) all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon bread crumbs; 1 pack of vanilla pudding powder; 1 2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon (400 ml) milk; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1.8 oz. (50 g) dark chocolate; 7 oz. (200 g) fresh strawberries; 17.6 oz. (500 g) canned peaches, drained; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon potato starch; 2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons (200 ml) water

German Fruit Flan (Obsttorte)

Sliced German fruit flan topped with strawberries and peaches on a serving plate.

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German fruit flan, Obsttorte, or Obstboden, is a classic German dessert made with a fruit base, vanilla custard, and glazed fresh fruits. This sweet treat will surely please a crowd, making 12-14 servings at once.

Author: Irina Totterman
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus, setting time)
Yield: 12 1x
Category: Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: German

Ingredients

Scale

For the fruit base:

4.4 oz. (125 g) unsalted butter, softened + little for greasing
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (180 g) granulated sugar
1 sachet (9 g) vanilla sugar
1 pinch of salt
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons (180 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

For the vanilla pudding:

1 pack of vanilla pudding powder
1 2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon (400 ml) milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For decoration:

1.8 oz. (50 g) dark chocolate
7 oz. (200 g) fresh strawberries
17.6 oz. (500 g) canned peaches, drained

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon potato starch
2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons (200 ml) water

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** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

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Instructions

To make the fruit base, using a pastry brush and softened butter, brush an 11-inch/28 cm fruit flan pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Then, using a flour sifter, sift flour with baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Preheat oven to 355 degrees F/180 degrees C. Place butter, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugar mixture until the sugar crystals are almost dissolved using a stand or electric mixer.
Stir in eggs, one at a time, each for about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer just to combine.
Pour batter into the prepared tin, smooth out, and bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes until it the golden in color. Let it cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack and turn it down. Let it could completely.
To make the vanilla pudding, follow the instructions on the pack of instant vanilla pudding. Then, pour it on a shallow dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it cool.
To assemble the fruit flan, transfer the baked base in an upside-down position to a serving plate. Cut each strawberry into four, and slice the canned peaches into 1/2 inch/1.5 cm wedges.
Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler (or water bath) and brush the cooled flan base with chocolate using a silicone or pastry brush. Let the chocolate set for about 30 minutes.
Cover the base with a layer of vanilla pudding and arrange the prepared fruit in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping fruit slices. Start your design from the outside edge of the flan and work inward towards the center.
To make the cake glaze, stir potato starch into 1/4 cup (60 ml) water until dissolved. Bring 3/4 cup (175 ml) water with sugar to a simmer. Stir in the starch mixture and bring it to a boil while stirring. Let the glaze cool a bit, and brush the fruit thinly using a silicone brush. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

While baking the fruit base, add 3 to 5 minutes if you like the fruit crust crisp.
Omit the chocolate layer or pudding layer if desired. Just make one of them to protect the base from soaking (I used both layers, it is my personal preference).
Use the juice from the canned peaches to make your own glaze (omit water and sugar in the glaze recipe) or purchase store-bought clear glaze Tortenguss.
Brush the top of the fruit with the glaze while it is hot enough, or use a spoon to spread it over the fruit on the fruit base from the center (you will use a few spoons of the glaze).
The shiny fruit glaze takes about 1 hour to set. While chilling, it goes a little faster. So, plan your baking accordingly.
If you decorate your fruit flan with exotic fruits such as pineapple, kiwi, or mango, don't use a cake glaze. These fruits contain an enzyme that prevents them from setting.
If you use frozen strawberries, arrange them on the base while they are frozen and immediately cover them with a hot cake glaze. In this way, the juice will stay in the strawberries.
Make-ahead option: Bake the cake base the day before. Then wrap it in plastic film to prevent it from drying out and refrigerate. Assemble the dessert the next day.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 304
Sugar: 30.4 g
Sodium: 56 mg
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
Carbohydrates: 45.8 g
Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 5.4 g
Cholesterol: 73 mg

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/german-fruit-flan-recipe/