German Apple Cake With Cinnamon Sugar Topping
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This German apple cake bakes up soft and buttery underneath, with thinly sliced apples baked right into the top so every bite gets a bit of fruit and a bit of cake. It’s the kind of cake that looks like it took real effort, even though it didn’t.
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I was fifteen on my first trip to Germany, and out of everything I ate that trip, this cake stuck with me the most. In Germany it is called Apfelkuchen, and you can find it just about anywhere. It’s an old-fashioned apple cake in the best sense: simple, buttery, and not overly sweet.
Thin apple slices go right on top of the batter before it bakes, so you get a little apple in every bite. I like mine finished with cinnamon sugar, though a dusting of powdered sugar works just as well. This simple cake recipe leans more toward apple coffee cake than rich dessert, much like my Cherry Coffee Cake or my Pear Upside Down Cake if fruit-topped cakes are your thing.
Star Ingredients
- Apples – I used Honeycrisp apples, but Royal Gala, Braeburn, and Jonabold are good choices for this apple cake recipe because they are sweet but retain their shape when baked without getting mushy. Granny Smith apples are also a good choice but offer a tarter flavor. Avoid McIntosh because when baked, they tend to soften up too much, lose their shape and turn mushy.
- Cake Flour – This type of flour, also known as pastry flour, has less gluten than all-purpose flour. It produces a soft, tender and moist crumb perfect for cakes.
- Lemon Juice – Used to keep the apples from browning. More of a vanity ingredient than anything and not absolutely necessary.
Step-by-Step Made Simple
- Prepare your springform pan. You can butter it and add parchment paper, but I prefer buttering my springform pan, or you can even use lard if you prefer. Then add about 2 tbsp flour to the pan. I tilt the pan and tap the sides, turning slowly so that the flour moves along the side of the pan, adding a light floury coating to prevent the cake from sticking. Then give the remaining flour a shake so that the bottom of the pan gets dusted with flour as well.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat until fluffy with a hand mixer.
- Beat in the vanilla
- Then beat in one egg at a time into the butter mixture.
- Place a large sieve over the bowl and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a spoon to sift the flour into the batter below. I like to use a sieve instead of pre-mixing in a separate bowl because I think it mixes the ingredients better and at the same time, removes any lumps from the flour.
- Mix the flour into the batter just until combined. Then add in the milk and mix. Don’t overmix.
- Peel and core the apples and then slice them into quarters. Make thin slices about 1/8″ wide into the rounded edge of each apple quarter without cutting through, creating a sort of apple fan.
- Carefully toss the peeled and sliced apples in the lemon juice. This will keep the apples from turning brown.
- Add the cake batter to the bottom of the springform pan. The batter is thick, so use a spatula to spread the batter evenly along the bottom and push the batter against the pan edges.
- Add the sliced apple quarters to the top with the round side facing upwards. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
- Once the cake is baked, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before releasing it from the springform pan and serving.
Helpful tips & Tricks
- Thinly slice apples to about 1/8″ thickness. This will help them cook more evenly so the centre of the apples doesn’t remain firm.
- Use a sieve to mix the flour, baking soda and salt together. I do this for nearly any recipe that usually requires mixing the dry ingredients separately. I find that sifting the dry ingredients not only removes lumps but also mixes spices more evenly.
- Flour your pan. This helps the cake to release from the sides of the pan easily without sticking, and the flour all but disappears when the cake bakes. It also avoids the need to trim and mess with parchment paper.
- Make the swap. Cinnamon sugar is my favorite topping for this apple cake, but if you want a more refined appearance that is less rustic, you can sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar instead. But make sure you let the cake completely cool because if the cake is even a little bit warm, the powdered sugar will just melt into the cake instead of resting like snow on top.
Leftovers? No Problem!
Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap on the counter for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a final layer of aluminum foil. This will keep air out and prevent freezer burn. This cake will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before serving. You may need to sprinkle again with powdered sugar if you went with this topping.
German Apple Cake With Cinnamon Sugar Topping
This German apple cake bakes up soft and buttery underneath, with thinly sliced apples baked right into the top so every bite gets a bit of fruit and a bit of cake. It's the kind of cake that looks like it took real effort, even though it didn't.
Equipment
- 1 9" springform pan
Ingredients
- 3-4 small apples
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Topping
- 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9" springform pan.
- In a large bowl use a hand mixer to cream the butter and granulated sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
- Beat in one egg at a time into the butter mixture using the hand mixer.
- Place a large sieve over the bowl and add to it the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a spoon to sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients below.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients together using a spoon. Then add the milk and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
- Use a spatula to pour the cake batter into the springform pan. The batter will be thick so use the spatula to spread the batter evenly across the bottom and to the walls of the springform pan.
- Peel, core and quarter the apples. Thinly slice the rounded edge of the apple into 1/8" slices without going through to the cored side. This will create a fan-like appearance.
- Once all of the apples are cut, add them to a medium-sized bowl and carefully toss with the lemon juice to avoid browning.
- Place the apples on top of the cake with the rounded side facing upwards. Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven.
- In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of the cake. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before releasing it from the springform pan and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 378mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 494IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
Notes
Storage:
Store any leftovers tightly sealed in a container or plastic wrap on the counter for up to 3 days. Freeze in a double-wrapped layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before serving.
Variation:
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake instead of cinnamon sugar for a more refined appearance. Make sure that the cake is completely cooled before dusting with powdered sugar or the sugar will melt into the cake and disappear.
Please Note:
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
