German Apple Cake
This German Apple Cake or Apple Kuchen with a pastry crust, topping of sliced baking apples, and cinnamon sugar is both easy and delicious!
My first ever Apfel Kuchen was a gift for my dear father-in-law who had been searching for his grandmotherโs recipe that he remembered so fondly from his childhood. It was made with yeast and a custard of egg, sugar, cream, and cinnamon. My latest version is simpler and just as tasty.
Why Youโll Love this Apfel Kuchen AKA German Apple Cake
- Itโs reminiscent of an apple slab pie, and so much easier to make than any version of apple pie.
- If you love apple desserts, this has the classic pairing of apples and cinnamon.
- Apfel Kuchen can be traced back at least 400 years. The German tradition of Koffee and Kuchen was similar to British tea time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kuchen?
Kuchen is the German word for cake, but is more like a cross between cake and pie, often including custard. There are many variations of this German Apple Cake.
How Do You Pronounce Kuchen?
Kuchen can be pronounced KOO-gan or KOO-can.
How Do You Serve Kuchen?
Traditionally, kuchen is served with coffee or tea, along with other sweets between 3 and 5 PM. Americans are more likely to serve kuchen with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream for dessert after dinner.
How Do You Store Kuchen?
Kuchen can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. In the summer, itโs recommended to store your kuchen in the refrigerator, since itโs a moist dessert and will spoil more quickly in a warm environment.
Kuchen will freeze well for up to 3 months if wrapped airtight. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and gently warm to serve.
How to Make Apple Kuchen
- To make the crust, sift together the dry ingredients.
- Cut in the butter until itโs pea-sized.
- Whisk together the egg and milk and thoroughly mix into the dry ingredients.
- Pat into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Peel, core, then slice the apples into thin wedges.
- Arrange the apples in rows over the crust, overlapping slightly. Dot the apples with small pieces of butter.
- Make the topping by mixing the sugars, flour, and cinnamon.
- Sprinkle the topping over the apples, and bake as directed until golden brown.
Tips for Making Apfel Kuchen
- There are numerous variations of apple kuchen, often passed along for generations. It may take a few attempts to find the perfect recipe for your family.
- Use baking apples. I like using a variety to add a more complex, unique flavor to my kuchen.
- Leave on the peels if you like the texture and color they provide. I prefer my apples peeled.
- Sprinkle raisins or toasted pecans on your kuchen before adding the topping, if desired.
- I usually recommend lining your baking pan with foil, but it was difficult to pat the crust in the pan when lined. Instead, just grease your pan and donโt mess with foil.
- Serve straight up, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, or make a homemade custard sauce to accompany each slice.
Ingredient Notes:
- Baking Apples โ Use a variety for the best tasting kuchen, like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Honeycrisp.
- Flour โ AP is perfect
- Baking Powder โ Check if itโs still active by looking at the expiration date or putting a spoonful into hot water to see if it bubbles vigorously. If it does, itโs good to go.
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Salt โ I prefer table salt for baking as it distributes throughout the dough best.
- Egg โ I use large eggs and bring them to room temperature for easier incorporation.
- Milk โ I use 2% as thatโs what we have on hand; whole milk will also work well.
- Cinnamon
You May Also Like:
- Apple Pie Muffins from Dinner, then Dessert
- Classic Apple Pie
- Apple Galette
- Apple Slab Pie
- More of the Best Dessert Recipes
Apple Kuchen or Apfelkuchen
Thisย Apple Kuchenย orย German Apple Cake is a retro recipe from my husband's German great-grandmother
Ingredients
- 4 baking apples, like Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious, Honeycrisp (a variety is better)
- ยฝ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ cup butter
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
Topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ยผ cup sugar
- ยผ cup brown sugar
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons flour
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set it aside.
- Make the crust layer by whisking together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the ½ cup butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives until the butter is pea-sized.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk, then add to the dry ingredients.
- Mix well and pat into the baking pan.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- Place on the dough in rows, overlapping slightly.
- Dot the apples with the remaining butter.
- Mix together the topping ingredient and spread over the apples.
- Bake for 30-25 minutes or until the apples are tender when you pierce them with the point of a sharp knife.
Notes
A variety of baking apples adds a more unique flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 282mgCarbohydrates: 82gFiber: 3gSugar: 41gProtein: 11g
I tweaked this Apple Kuchen Recipe slightly by adding tiny pats of butter before baking. Fred remembered his grandmother dotting her kuchen with butter before popping it in the oven. = It gave me great pleasure be able to give my father-in-law a taste of his childhoodโฆ
A few of you know that my seemingly healthy and dear, dear father-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer not long after Christmas. When it comes to in-laws, Iโve been blessed. Kind, caring, generousโฆthey are two of my favorite people in the world. We were hoping my father-in-law would have more timeโฆso he could watch his grandchildren marry and spoil his future great-grandchildren as he did his grandchildren. This was not to be. His disease moved quickly and ferociouslyโฆand I would send treats for him when Bill would visit for the weekend.
He and I shared our love of smoked fish, bread with nuts and dried fruit as well as all apple desserts. For years he had searched for a recipe similar to his German grandmotherโs apple kuchenโฆand finally my brother-in-law, Dan, found โtheโ recipe in an old family recipe box. Dan tried his best to recreate this German apple cake, but apparently, it got over-bakedโฆโLong story,โ he relayed in his email.
Update: my father-in-law lost his battle with cancer on Thursday. I will be forever grateful that his strong sense of family and love of God was the legacy passed to his sons and grandchildren. I was blessed to have him in my life for nearly 30 years.
73 Comments on “German Apple Cake”
Oh dear Lizzy Im so sorry I adored my Father in law two (he pass away about 3 years) and still miss him.
Send you love and huggs to you and family!
This applekuchen look amazing, I bookmarked.
xo
Whoa…touching story and such a great tribute to your FIL. I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes but my heart full of happiness that you had this wonderful man in your family and that your were able to give him such joy and happy rememberences of his childhood. Sending Texas Hugs!!
ps: I can hardly wait to try this Kuchen!!!
Thanks so much, Kay! You are such a sweet, compassionate friend. xo
I’m so sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Please accept my condolences. This is a lovely tribute to honour your father-in-law. Your apple kuchen looks lovely and family recipes like this, are homey and comforting. Take care.
A sweet and beautiful tribute to your darling father-in-law. I’ve been thinking of you all this week and the weeks since you found out he was so sick. I’m so very sorry that he passed. You were blessed with his kind soul for 30 years-what a gift. Your apfelkuchen looks incredible…this is my favorite kind of dessert, Lizzy. xo
What a wonderful way to honour your father-in-law! Family recipes such as these evoke so many memories and make many new ones as well. He has left you and your family with a “goodly heritage” and blessed legacy! This recipe looks wonderful – you make it all look so easy. Huge hugs to you.
It is such a wonderful thing to find and preserve old family recipes. How lovely of you to honor your father-in-law with this beautiful apple kuchen that he so very much wanted. I know it is something my family would very much enjoy too.
I am sorry for your loss. Isn’t it special that in-laws can add such joy to our lives? So often you hear of tension in the in-law relationship and it is wonderful to hear of the love and joy you shared with your father-in-law. This is a beautiful apple kuchen. Hope you can make it again in the future and share happy memories with your family.
I am very sorry for your loss, Liz. How wonderful that you two had so many food loves in common and that you could share this cake with him.
Darlin’! This is such a fabulous recipe. Those heirloom recipes are always the best and they bring so much meaning when you bake them. The best ingredient to everything my Grandma ever made was love and I like to think that I give a piece of her to my family every time I make one of her recipes now. Thank you for sharing a special piece of your family with us. Krista @ A Handful of Everything
The second this post opened I remembered your unbaked pic in fb and thought about your fil again. It is a blessing to have such great personalities in our lives, even though they need to go. This is really gorgeous Liz, and the best tribute to him! Hope Bill and the kids (the whole extended family really) have a peaceful week.
Lovely tribute to your father-in-law. And delicious buttery apple cake!
Hi Lizzy! Sorry to hear about your father-in-law…. God bless you and the family…
Lovely post , Lizzy ! And pretty delicious apple kuchen ๐ Hope is well with all of you ….
What a wonderful post. So touching. Lovely cake.
How sad, I am sure this would have brought your father in law great joy. Look after yourself ๐
Gorgeous as always Liz. Your photography and stories are amazing. I admire your talents.
This post is beautiful, Lizzy! Everything you make is gorgeous and I can tell it was made with love!
Your Father In Law sounded like a beautiful and wonderful man. I’m so sorry for your loss. I love hearing of relationships like yours. I love that his legacy lives on through your family. Such a blessing! Lovely post, Liz. Beautiful and delicious Apple Kuchen ๐
Beautiful kuchen and such a lovely tribute to your father-in-law!
Gorgeous kuchen, Liz. The story behind the tart is heart-touching. Very wonderful tribute to your father-in-law =)