German Apple Cake | Apfelkuchen
- Autumn, Cakes & Cupcakes & Muffins, Desserts & Sweets, Germany
Delicious German Apple Cake or Apfelkuchen. Quick and easy to prepare, this German Apple Cake recipe is an excellent choice for autumn or an absolute treat for any occasion where you want to conjure up a cake, that is uncomplicated and with little effort to prepare, while still looking impressive.

Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- 500 g apples
- 3 eggs
- 150 g butter | soft – room temperature
- 150 g all purpose flour
- 150 g sugar
- 1 packet of bourbon – vanilla sugar | 8 g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice | for the apples
- Optional: 1 packet of bourbon – vanilla sugar | 8 g or just enough to sprinkle over cake
- Optional: powdered sugar | for dusting

How to make German Apple Cake | Apfelkuchen:










(1) Preparations
Grease a 26 cm in diameter (10-inch) round cake pan with some butter.
Peel, core and cut 500 g apples into wedges (eighths). Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning.
(2) For the cake batter
For the batter, mix 150 g of room temperature – soft butter with 150 g of sugar and 1 packet of bourbon – vanilla sugar, until creamy.
Then add the 3 eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
Roughly mix 150 g flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and then add to the dough (butter-sugar-egg mixture) or sift finely as you like, and then mix everything. Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons milk, until smooth.
(3) Bake the apple cake
Preheat the oven to 180 °C, top/bottom heat.
Spread the batter evenly in the cake tin with a spatula. Then press the previously prepared apple wedges lightly into the dough, pointed side down. Optional: For a caramelized pie crust, spread a packet of bourbon vanilla sugar evenly over the batter with the topped apples.
Place the cake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes. It’s best to do a “Wood Skewer Test”.
Tip: You can use the “Wood Skewer Test” to test whether your cake is ready. Simply pierce the middle of the cake with a wood skewer, if no dough sticks to the skewer, the cake is ready.
(4) Let cool and dust with powdered sugar
Allow the apple cake to cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove from the cake tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Optional: Dust with some powdered sugar.

Some Recipe Tips:
Storage: The apple cake, covered, will last for 3 – 4 days.
Freezing: You can also freeze the apple cake very well. Allow to cool completely and pack in an airtight freezer bag. To thaw, let it thaw completely at room temperature.

German Apple Cake | Apfelkuchen
Course: Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts & SweetsCuisine: GermanyDifficulty: Easy10
minutes35
minutes45
minutesDelicious German Apple Cake or Apfelkuchen. Quick and easy to prepare, this German Apple Cake recipe is an excellent choice for autumn or an absolute treat for any occasion where you want to conjure up a cake, that is uncomplicated and with little effort to prepare, while still looking impressive.
Ingredients
500 g apples
3 eggs
150 g butter | soft - room temperature
150 g all purpose flour
150 g sugar
1 packet of bourbon - vanilla sugar | 8 g
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice | for the apples
Optional: 1 packet of bourbon - vanilla sugar | 8 g or just enough to sprinkle over cake
Optional: powdered sugar | for dusting
Directions
Preparations
Grease a 26 cm in diameter (10-inch) round cake pan with some butter.
Peel, core and cut 500 g apples into wedges (eighths). Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning.
For the cake batter
For the batter, mix 150 g of room temperature - soft butter with 150 g of sugar and 1 packet of bourbon - vanilla sugar, until creamy.
Then add the 3 eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
Roughly mix 150 g flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and then add to the dough (butter-sugar-egg mixture) or sift finely as you like, and then mix everything. Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons milk, until smooth.
Bake the apple cake
Preheat the oven to 180 °C, top/bottom heat.
Spread the batter evenly in the cake tin with a spatula. Then press the previously prepared apple wedges lightly into the dough, pointed side down. Optional: For a caramelized pie crust, spread a packet of bourbon vanilla sugar evenly over the batter with the topped apples.
Place the cake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes. It's best to do a "Wood Skewer Test".
Tip: You can use the "Wood Skewer Test" to test whether your cake is ready. Simply pierce the middle of the cake with a wood skewer, if no dough sticks to the skewer, the cake is ready.
Let cool and dust with powdered sugar
Allow the apple cake to cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove from the cake tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Optional: Dust with some powdered sugar.
Notes
- Storage: The apple cake, covered, will last for 3 - 4 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the apple cake very well. Allow to cool completely and pack in an airtight freezer bag. To thaw, let it thaw completely at room temperature.