One of the most iconic and beloved cakes in German cuisine is Apfelkuchen (apple cake). There are many variations, but the truly authentic, “grandma’s” version is Apfelkuchen mit versunkenen Apfelvierteln (apple cake with sunken apple quarters).
This cake is not too sweet, the dough is buttery and juicy, and the apples sink beautifully into the dough.
🍎 Authentic German Apple Cake (Versunkener Apfelkuchen)
I. Ingredients
For the dough:
$250\,\text{g}$ fine flour
$125\,\text{g}$ soft butter
$125\,\text{g}$ sugar
$3$ eggs
$1$ packet vanilla sugar
$2\,\text{teaspoon}$ baking powder
$1\,\text{pinch}$ salt
$2–3\,\text{tablespoon}$ milk (as needed)
For the top:
$4–5$ medium apples (sour variety, e.g. Boskoop or Elstar)
$1\,\text{tablespoon}$ lemon juice
$1\,\text{teaspoon}$ powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon for sprinkling
II. Preparation
- Prepare the apples
Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the core. Score the outer edges of the quarters lengthwise with a knife (do not cut all the way through!). Drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. - Assemble the dough
Beat the soft butter with the sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
Mix the flour with the baking powder and salt, then gradually add to the butter mixture.
If the dough is too thick, add $1-2$ tablespoons of milk – the consistency should be creamy but not runny. - Assemble and bake
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease and flour a springform cake tin measuring approx. $26\,\text{cm}$.
Smooth the dough and then arrange the apple slices in a circle, cut side up (press them gently into the dough).
Bake for approx. 40–45 minutes. Test with a skewer!
III. Secrets to the perfect German cake
The cutting: Cutting the apples is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also helps the apples soften more quickly and evenly in the dough.
Apricot jam glaze: In German bakeries, the cake is spread with a little warmed apricot jam while it is still hot. This gives it a beautiful shine and keeps it juicy longer.
Serving: In Germany, a large amount of freshly whipped, unsweetened whipped cream (Schlagsahne) is essential.
💡 Tip for health-conscious gourmets
As you may have already experienced with “Healthy Avocado Bread”, good quality ingredients make all the difference. In this recipe, you can replace some of the butter (about $50\,\text{g}$) with applesauce, thus reducing the fat content while making the cake even juicier!
Would you like to try another German favorite, such as the famous Streuselkuchen (crumb cake)?