From the Skyhold Kitchens: Gretta's Cherry Crumble Cake
The Skyhold Literary Society
“I brought… more cake,” he said, his voice quiet.
Ella crossed her arms, watching him quietly. She narrowed her eyes, looking him up and down. “You only brought one piece?”
He tried to smile, but it looked more like a wince as he lifted a cloth-wrapped bundle held in his other hand. “And a few more,” he said, “if you’re still in a throwing mood.”
Welcome back to another installment of my cozy fantasy food series where I highlight some of the foods in my Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfic, The Skyhold Literary Society.
Food as a love language is an ongoing theme in my fic, and if there is one dessert that holds absolute power over our Inquisitor (and one Cullen happily weaponizes to please her), it is the cherry crumble cake.
So, I am providing the recipe so you can bake your own, whether you need to apologize to the woman you love, or you just really want some cake.
Also, this is the long promised post for @wingedblack. Thank you for your patience as I finally started pulling these posts together!
~~~ IN THEDAS ~~~~~~~
In Skyhold, the cherry crumble cake is a rare and highly coveted commodity. One the Inquisitor hoards like a feral squirrel as Gretta, the head cook, guards her cherry supply like she does her other secrets: with her life.
However, our dear Commander quickly realizes that if he wants to successfully court the Inquisitor, he needs to secure a steady supply.
His solution? Blackmail/Bribery.
We learn that Gretta is actually the secret author behind the wildly inaccurate, highly smutty romance novel Obeying Her Order.
Yes, the same novel the Literary Society tore apart for its terrible swordplay mechanics (and the one Cullen got himself in trouble with after offering to give Ella a proper thrusting demonstration).
Well... I don't actually think he'd call it trouble any longer, but you'll have to read the fic to find out more.
In any case, to get his Inquisitor her cake, Cullen strikes a deal: he provides expert martial combat reviews for Gretta's future smut novels, and in exchange, she bakes off-schedule cherry crumble cakes for him to give to Ella.
The things a Commander Wife Guy will do for love.
~~~ IN REALITY~~~~~~~
So why the cherry crumble cake? Well, because I love it, obviously.
Really, though, the cake is based on a German Streuselkuchen. This is a cake my grandparents have baked for as long as I can remember, along with any number of other delicious cakes that may or not make an appearance as Ella and Cullen's story continues.
Food as a love language, and especially Kaffe und Kuchen has been a staple in my life since I was a child.
Streuselkuchen is one of my favorite cakes and especially because it can be adapted to include any number of fruits or berries (apples, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, etc etc). The recipe I linked below is one of the closest versions I could find to the family recipe, which is mostly baked on chaos and vibes
(Which, ironically, also accurately describes my writing process).
~~~ THE RECIPE ~~~~~~
🔗 Base recipe: German Streusel Cake With Cherries (Kirschstreuselkuchen) from The Spruce Eats
Changes/Notes:
You can absolutely use cherry pie filling as a quick way to bake this cake that doesn't involve having to pit a million cherries
Best served slightly warm, ideally hand delivered by a feral gargoyle who is deeply in love with you.
~~~ THE FIC ~~~~~~~~
If you haven't already, you can read The Skyhold Literary Society on AO3
