German Apple Cake Apfelkuchen Recipes

APFELKUCHEN: GERMAN APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 8 or 9-inch springform pan.
• Cream butter and 1 cup granulated white sugar together until a smooth texture is reached.
• While blending, add in eggs one at a time. Add flour and baking powder. Mix until smooth and uniform.
• Spread cake batter in greased pan. The batter will be sticky so be careful.
• Peel and slice apples and place on top of cake batter. Overlapping apples and pressing down into the cake just slightly. The cake batter will rise around the apples.
• Sprinkle the extra 3 tbsp. granulated sugar on top of the batter, but don't mix in. This step is optional.
• Bake cake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove baked cake promptly from pan and let completely cool before cutting into it. Dust with powdered sugar on top and enjoy.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE (WIENER APFELKUCHEN)

Steps:

• Gather the crust ingredients.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
• Cut in cold butter for pie dough until small crumbs form.
• Use 4 to 6 tablespoons of the egg-water mixture to moisten the crumbs. Stir just until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Gather the batter ingredients.
• Cut each quarter apple into 3 long pieces, then cut crosswise into small trapezoids. Sprinkle with lemon juice, toss and set aside.
• Beat together softened butter with sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and lemon zest.
• Whisk together flour with baking powder (and a dash of salt if using unsalted butter) in a separate small bowl. Add to creamed butter mixture alternately with whipping cream and beat until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 11-inch springform pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or flour, shaking out excess.
• Roll out the crust and line the pan, piecing crust as necessary to form a 1- to 1 1/2-inch lip.
• Place drained apple slices in the crust.
• Spoon cake batter over apple slices as if setting dumpling batter on a stew, then smooth over apples to edges.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons almond slices then 4 tablespoons granulated sugar evenly over batter.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, then turn off the oven and leave the cake for another 15 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and filling should be moist but set.
• Allow cake to cool completely in the pan for best taste. Serve with whipped cream . Refrigerate any leftovers.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE (APFELKUCHEN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease and flour a 9.5-inch cake springform pan. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with your hand mixer in a large bowl. Add the egg and beat again.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add the mixture to the liquid ingredients in small increments while using your hand mixer (and later your hands) on a low setting to avoid the flour from making a mess. You'll have to stop using your mixer about halfway through since the dough will become quite sticky. Just use your hands for the last bit and make sure not to overmix! Stop once everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
• Take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is slightly bigger than your springform pan (you'll need it for the edge/crust!). Make sure to put some flour on the surface and on the rolling pin first to avoid unnecessary sticking. Alternatively, you can also flatten the dough with your hands, then place it directly in the springform pan and form it to the bottom of the pan and up the sides (for crust). Make sure the dough has an even thickness and also make sure you have an approximately 1.5 inches high edge along the removable ring part of the springform pan (this is the crust).
• Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into approx. 1/4-1/2 inch-sized cubes. Place the apple cubes into a bowl, add the cinnamon and mix well. Now evenly place the apple cubes over the cake base.
• For the crumbles, mix butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour using your hands (not your mixer!). The dough should be quite crumbly but the flour should be fully mixed in with the other ingredients (there should not be a lot of white flour spots). This might take a couple of minutes. If your dough feels too soft/sticky, add slightly more flour until it reaches the desired consistency (this shouldn't happen though). Rip the dough into small pieces and place it on top of the apples.
• Bake the cake for approximately 50 - 60 minutes. Since every oven is different, your baking time might vary slightly. Once the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the springform pan. Remove the cake from the pan once it has cooled sufficiently.

APFELKUCHEN (APPLE CAKE)

Steps:

• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish or a 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat 2 1/4 cup flour, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, yeast, 6 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and 1 pinch salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes; spread into baking dish and press dough up the sides. Press apple slices into dough.
• Mix 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, candied lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1 pinch salt in a bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over apples. Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until cake is golden brown and apples are tender, about 35 minutes.

VERSUNKENER APFELKUCHEN (GERMAN SUNKEN APPLE CAKE)

Steps:

• Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoon flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to batter and mix until batter is smooth.
• Peel and quarter apples. Remove core and cut apples like a fan from the outside towards the inside but do not cut all the way through.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a springform pan with butter.
• Spoon batter into the prepared springform pan and spread out evenly. Set cut apple quarters in a circle into the batter with the round, cut side facing up. Gently push apples into the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven, allow to cool, and dust cooled cake with confectioners' sugar.

SUNNY'S EASY APFELKUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the apples: Add the lemon juice and 2 cups of water to a large bowl and stir. Add the apple wedges. Set aside.
• For the batter: Add the cake mix to a large bowl. Whisk together the cider, sour cream and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the cake mix and stir until combined.
• For the streusel: Add the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon sugar to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Using a box grater, shred the chilled butter into the bowl. Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix and toss the mixture until crumbly. Place back in the refrigerator if needed while preparing to bake.
• To assemble: Spray the bottoms and sides of a 9-inch springform cake pan with cooking spray. Place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom and spray again. Pour half of the cake batter in the pan. Sprinkle the top with half of the streusel mixture, then add half of the apple slices in a circular fanning pattern. Repeat the layers and dust the top with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes before releasing the spring form.
• For serving: Serve the cake slices with Sunny's Bourbon Whipped Cream.
• In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream until light and soft. Add the bourbon and granulated sugar and continue to whisk until soft, lazy peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Refrigerate and serve cold.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE (APFELKUCHEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 10 to 11 inch springform pan or a pan with a removable bottom.
• Peel the apples, remove the core, dice/slice them (not too thick), place them in a bowl and stir in a tablespoon or two of lemon juice (to prevent browning). Set aside until the batter is ready.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until pale and creamy/frothy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next egg. Stir in the flour until combined but don't over-stir.Pour the apples into a colander and let them drain. Set aside a few pieces/slices to press into the top of the cake at the end. Stir the apple pieces into the batter and scoop the batter into the greased pan. Use the apple pieces you set aside and press them into the top of the batter. Bake for 40-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake until comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove it to let it cool completely.
• If using the sugar cinnamon or apricot jam toppings (see blog post "Optional Toppings" for instructions), apply it while the cake is hot and then let the cake cool. If using powdered sugar, sprinkle it over the cake once it's cooled. Serve the cake on its own, with some whipped cream, or serve it with vanilla ice cream and/or a drizzle of homemade caramel sauceStore the cooled cake in a cake saver or airtight container. This cake will be even more moist the next day. Will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or can be refrigerated a little longer.

OMA'S APFELKUCHEN (GRANDMA'S APPLE CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Let egg yolks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Starting 1/2 in. from 1 end, cut apple halves lengthwise into 1/4-in. slices, leaving them attached at the top so they fan out slightly. Set aside., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, sift flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt twice. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Add milk; mix well (batter will be thick)., Spread batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan wrapped in a sheet of heavy-duty foil. Gently press apples, round side up, into batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 45-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Remove rim from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

GERMAN APPLE CAKE (VERSUNKENER APFELKUCHEN)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a kugelhopf or 10-inch Bundt pan.
• 2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the flour mixture and milk.
• 3. Beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold one-fourth of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
• 4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread with half of the apples. Top with the remaining batter, then the remaining apples.
• 5. Bake until golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• 6. To make the glaze if using: Combine all the glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth and of pouring consistency. Drizzle over the cake and let stand until set.