Cuca — Brazilian crumb-topped fruit cake

i. Origin & history

Cuca came to Brazil with German immigrants in the 19th century, particularly to Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in the south. The name is a corruption of the German Kuchen.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 250 g plain flour
• 60 g sugar
• Pinch salt
• 5 g instant yeast
• 100 ml warm milk
• 1 egg
• 60 g unsalted butter, soft
• 3 ripe bananas, sliced (or 400 g pineapple or apple chunks)
• Cinnamon-sugar to dust
• 150 g plain flour
• 100 g muscovado sugar
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

iii. Method

1. Make dough; prove 60 min.
2. Press dough into a 22 cm square tin. Arrange fruit on top.
3. Mix streusel ingredients to a coarse crumb; scatter generously over fruit.
4. Bake at 180 °C for 35-40 min until golden.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Cuca de banana is the canonical version. Cuca de uva uses grapes. Cuca de Goiaba uses guava. Modern cuca sometimes includes nuts in the streusel.

vii. More from Latin American

• Apple Pie — British apple pie
• Szarlotka — Polish apple cake
• Apfelstrudel — apple strudel
• Blueberry Muffins — American muffins
• Drommekage — Danish dream cake
• Banh Chuoi — Vietnamese banana cake